{"id":178894,"date":"2025-07-05T18:04:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T18:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/05\/kelly-monaco-reflects-on-dwts-season-1-challenges\/"},"modified":"2025-07-05T18:04:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T18:04:48","slug":"kelly-monaco-reflects-on-dwts-season-1-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/05\/kelly-monaco-reflects-on-dwts-season-1-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Kelly Monaco Reflects on DWTS Season 1 Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Before Kelly Monaco<\/strong><\/a> was crowned the first-ever Dancing With the Stars<\/a> <\/i>winner, she was warned that joining the hit reality competition series could damage her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a letter in my mailbox in my dressing room at General Hospital<\/i>. We have these little mailboxes outside of our dressing rooms, and there was a letter in there, and it was a request to do Dancing with the Stars,<\/i>\u201d Monaco, 49, recalled to Entertainment Weekly <\/i><\/a>in a profile published on Saturday, July 5. \u201c<\/i>I remember bringing it home and getting feedback from family, friends, and so forth, and they were like, \u2018You can\u2019t do a reality show. Actors don\u2019t do a reality show.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She added, \u201cI had never heard of ballroom dancing before. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But I was just like, \u2018F*** it. I\u2019ll try anything once.\u2019 That\u2019s how I\u2019ve always rolled in life. If an opportunity comes, I\u2019ll try it.\u201d<\/p>\n

DWTS<\/i>, based on England\u2019s popular Strictly Come Dancing <\/i>reality TV competition, <\/i>premiered in 2005. Monaco, who was paired with pro dancer<\/a> Alec Mazo<\/strong>, competed against John O\u2019Hurley, Joey McIntyre, Rachel Hunter, Evander Holyfield<\/strong> and Trista Sutter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Kelly Monaco Speaks Out on \u2018General Hospital\u2019 Exit After 21 Years<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tKelly Monaco is reflecting on her exit from General Hospital after news broke that she was leaving the series. \u201cLast scene with the Davis girls. \ud83d\ude18\ud83e\udd72\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffb,\u201d Monaco, 48, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, October 6. \u201cStill doesn\u2019t make any sense to me.\u201d Alongside the message, Monaco shared a snap posing on a couch with costars [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe first season was only six episodes. It was a test run, and I was like, \u2018I\u2019m not going to tell anyone I\u2019m doing it and hopefully I get voted off first and no one will ever see it,\u2019\u201d the soap opera star recalled to EW. <\/i>\u201cAfter the first episode, I was horrified by the comments from the judges, and I got the lowest score, I think, ever in the history of Dancing With the Stars<\/i>. So, I was like, \u2018OK, it\u2019s on. We\u2019re going in and we\u2019re doing this.\u2019 Then I took it seriously<\/a>, and I was all in at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Monaco, she thought she would be eliminated each week.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Kelly-Monaco-DWTS-season-15-TCDDAW2_EC437\"<\/div>

\n Kelly Monaco dances during \u2018DWTS: All-Stars\u2019 in 2012.<\/span> Adam Taylor \/ ABC \/ Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think I was a good dancer at all. I improved weekly. I think people related to me in that I went from duck feet to being able to spin,\u201d she said. \u201cI have ruptured eardrums, equilibrium problems, and for me to even be able to do that without falling flat on my face was a journey in itself. I was so proud every week that I made it a week further.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monaco\u2019s ballroom journey also included a now-infamous wardrobe malfunction<\/a>, where her dress broke during her and Mazo\u2019s samba in week four.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlec was very strict, and he prepared me for every obstacle. He would have whoever was around throw obstacles at us,\u201d Monaco added. \u201cSo, he prepared me for that, but oh my God, it was so scary. I felt like someone had a laser beam from five miles away and shot my costume. It was a countdown to going live, \u2018Five, four, three, pop!\u2019 I was like, \u2018What am I supposed to do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cI know I get at least five counts of a walk over to Alec, walking toward him for our dance. But I remember looking at the judges, looking at whoever like, \u2018Is there a stop button? Okay, there\u2019s nothing. I just have to go through it.\u2019 So, I\u2019m like, \u2018OK, well, I\u2019ll just hold my dress up while I dance.\u2019 Alec supported me every step of the way. I don\u2019t think I felt more confident in any dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Monaco, the wardrobe mishap was \u201cthe turnaround of [her] experience with dance and the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n