DWTS’ most gruesome injuries revealed as celebrities suffer blood clots, broken ribs, fainting spells and more

SAM Champion had documented persistent pain in his legs while competing on Dancing with the Stars this season.

But the Good Morning America weatherman, who was eliminated earlier this week, was far from the first person to suffer a gruesome and devastating injury on the reality show.

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GMA weather forecaster Ginger Zee is just one of many celebrities to have sustained injuries competing on Dancing with the StarsPhoto credit: Getty

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Fellow GMA Sam Champion has documented his painful journey this seasonPhoto credit: Disney

On Monday, Sam announced he had undergone cryotherapy to deal with his pain.

The 61-year-old shared a video of him stripping to stand in the freezing temperatures.

The TV personality winced as he exposed his body to the freezing cold.

“I’m trying to get that hip into action!!!!” He subtitled the video.

Sharing his health struggles, Sam admitted he was unprepared for the toll taking part on the show would take on him.

“Physically, I wasn’t ready for this type of activity,” he said. “My body has never been pushed the way dancers have pushed their body.”

His painful journey finally ended on last week’s episode when he and partner Cheryl Burke were eliminated.

Throughout the history of DWTS, many prominent contestants have been sent home with unexpected injuries.

GINGER ZEE

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Ginger Zee and her partner Valentin ChmerkovskiyPhoto credit: Getty

Sam’s GMA meteorologist Ginger Zee faced her own DWTS dilemma after injuring her pelvis during her Season 22 appearance.

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But she had a good excuse for the injury.

“My pelvis is very loose and unstable because I just had a baby,” Ginger told her colleagues at ABC at the time.

Eventually, a physical therapist shut her down for a while.

“There was definitely a point where the physical therapist said, ‘Stop it. You can’t dance now,’” Ginger told PEOPLE.

The doctor broke more bad news when Ginger was advised not to even pick up or hold her new son.

“The therapist said not to hold him on either side. It was terrible.”

But she was eventually able to push through the pain and made it to the finals where she placed third.

MELISSA RYCROFT

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Melissa Rycroft and partner Tony DovolaniPhoto credit: Getty

Former Bachelor hopeful Melissa Rycroft was hospitalized while taking part in the show in 2012 after sustaining a head and neck injury during rehearsal.

“Melissa Rycroft sustained an injury during the on-set camera blocking rehearsal and was immediately rushed to the hospital,” a spokesman for the show said at the time.

“We can confirm that Melissa has been diagnosed with a herniated disc at the C4-C5 level of her cervical spine.”

For a while, her future with the show was in serious question. But less than 24 hours later, the then 29-year-old and her partner Tony Dovolani were back on the dance floor.

Pain aside, Melissa and her team’s freestyle group dance would win the week, achieving the impressive score of 29.5 out of 30.

And at the end of the season, Melissa was crowned the winner of the competition, taking home the coveted mirror ball trophy.

MARIE OSMOND

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Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts dance their last performance of season fivePhoto credit: Getty

The female half of legendary brother-sister duo Donnie and Marie Osmond famously fainted while competing in season five in 2007.

Marie’s shocking breakdown came shortly after her performance with dancer Jonathan Roberts.

The duo had just finished the samba and were being grilled by the judges when Osmond suddenly fell to the ground.

The show quickly switched to commercials, and when it returned, Marie seemed fine.

“It happens to me from time to time when I’m out of breath,” explained the then 48-year-old at the time. “I stop breathing.”

The following day, host Tom Bergeron stopped by Ryan Seacrest’s radio show and revealed more of the spooky moments.

“On the tape you can hear them really hyperventilating. But I couldn’t hear that next to her,” he said. “Apparently she forgets to breathe when she gets nervous. As silly as it sounds, that’s what she’s saying.”

Marie and Jonathan finished the season in third place.

KENYA MOORE

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Kenya and her partner Brandon ArmstrongPhoto credit: Getty

Kenya Moore was convinced she broke her ribs while performing on Dancing With the Stars after a poor lift and landing with partner Brandon Armstrong in 2021

The duo was finishing a contemporary dance to Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go” when the last lift failed.

Explaining what happened after the show, the then 50-year-old Kenyan said: “When I jumped on (Brandon) I think I just landed wrong. I landed on both of my bottom ribs and thought I broke them.”

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star admitted she couldn’t breathe and was in excruciating pain after the fall, but doctors gave her permission to continue and only advised her to rest.

Kenya would soon have enough time to recover as she retired in 10th place two weeks later.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY

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Christie Brinkley planned to be on the show

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However, she suffered a devastating injury during rehearsals and had to be replaced by her daughter

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley didn’t even make the TV shows.

The then 65-year-old suffered a nasty fall during rehearsals in the days leading up to season 28 and broke her arm.

“The second I landed, I felt the shards in my arm,” Christie told PEOPLE at the time. “I literally felt it in my wrist and immediately looked up and said, ‘I’m so sorry, I broke my arm.'”

The model, who also dislocated her wrist, underwent surgery shortly after to insert a plate and screws to repair her fractured arm.

She was replaced by her daughter, Sailor, who made it to week six before being eliminated.

TAMAR BRAXTON

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Tamar and partner Valentin ChmerkovskiyPhoto credit: Getty

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Valentin later visited her in the hospitalCredit: Instagram/valentine

R&B singer Tamar Braxton pulled season 21 after being diagnosed with blood clots in both lungs.

Tamar, then 38, was hospitalized late in the competition after experiencing some pain.

That’s when the doctors broke the news to her.

As she later explained on Instagram, “As you all know, I will always be the first to encourage everyone to overcome any obstacle that comes their way.

“But in this case my health is my current obstacle. And in REAL #tamartic form, I have to do it the same way I do anything else.

“I woke up in front of a mirror this morning and saw myself and that makes me a winner because that almost wasn’t the case.”

KIM ZOLCIAK BIERMANN

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Kim and partner Tony DovolaniPhoto credit: Getty

Kim Zolciak Biermann was also forced to retire from DWTS season 21 after suffering a mini-stroke.

But the original member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta called it a “blessing in disguise” as it led to the discovery of a hole in her heart.

“The minor TIA (transient ischemic attack) revealed that I have a PFO (patent foramen ovale) which is like a hole in your heart,” she told GMA at the time. “I was born with it and it never closed. That basically caused it.”

The reality star admitted she’ll need to be on blood thinners “probably for the rest of my life,” but added that it’s a small price to pay for her health and life.

“I feel great and I’m great.”