‘DWTS’ Season 1 Winner Kelly Monaco Makes Rare Appearance at 20th Anniversary Show

The Tuesday, November 11, episode of Dancing With the Stars was a milestone moment, and for eagle-eyed fans, the surprises were not just confined to the main stage.

The Dancing With the Stars 20th anniversary special episode honored the beloved competition show, with Tom Bergeron returning to guest judge alongside DWTS favs Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough.

In addition to all six of the original pro dancers returning to perform, viewers looked back on the show’s history, along with highlights and most memorable moments. The episode also included a heartfelt tribute to the DWTS contestants who have passed, along with plenty of familiar faces and a few surprises.

But a big shock for many was in the audience, as Season 1 Winner Kelly Monaco was spotted cheering next to Season 6 winner Kristi Yamaguchi.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), one fan posted a picture of Monaco with the caption: “Guys, I just about jumped outta my seat!!!!!! Look who it is!”

Guys, I just about jumped outta my seat!!!!!!

Look who it is! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/BjBdrX1HQa

— Lisa (@LSA8M) November 12, 2025

Monaco, best known for her role as Sam McCall on General Hospital, competed in the inaugural season of DWTS back in 2005 with professional partner Alec Mazo. The duo shared the show’s first “journey arc” success as they started a bit rough, but their steady improvement led to landing the coveted Mirrorball trophy.

Monaco returned for DWTS All-Stars in 2012, again partnered with Mazo, but was eliminated before the finals.

ABC

In 2024, her character Sam McCall was killed off on General Hospital after appearing on the ABC daytime soap for 21 years. Sam died from a complication following a liver donation to Lulu Spencer. The actress is said to have been “blindsided” by the decision to write her out of the show, according to sources. Since first appearing in 2003, Monaco had filmed more than 2,200 episodes of General Hospital.

After her exit from General Hospital, she announced the podcast Bad Bunnies with actress and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler in March 2025. However, in July 2025, Moakler revealed that the podcast was not happening as Monaco was “dealing with some personal things.” Instead, Moakler moved forward with a new podcast called Wicked Awesome alongside Claudia Jordan.

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She has since kept a low profile, so fans were especially pleased to see her at the outing.

Fans responded to the X post in delight, confusing a few folks who were out of the loop.

“Why wouldn’t she be there? She was the first winner,” asked one person.

“She’s kinda quiet and private, we rarely see her,” responded another.

“Bc we rarely see Kelly, like ever. She doesn’t post on socials either so it was a surprise for me,” said another.

Monaco credits DWTS with allowing fans to see her for the first time other than Sam. “I swear to you, from the first airing of Dancing With the Stars, almost overnight, it was a switch in support, because then I wasn’t Sam,” said Monaco. “Breaking the fourth wall, sometimes that works out badly for people, but for me, it worked in my favor, and I think I was able to gain some respect from the audience, and they didn’t think I was, like, this trashy whore who was sleeping with her stepfather.”

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC