Weekend Rewind: Most memorable Dancing with the Stars moments

Paul Holmes and Rebecca perform their Thriller routine on DWTS. Photo / NZ On Screen

Ahead of the grand final of Dancing with the Stars, NZ On Screen’s Zara Potts looks back through the archives at some of the more memorable performances throughout the seasons.

Dancing with the Stars was a relatively risky format when it first debuted here in Aotearoa. There had been talent shows and dance shows before, but would the public really sit down and watch celebrities samba, waltz and cha-cha across the stage for hours on end?

As it turned out, it wasn't a risky move at all. The viewing public ate it up, sequins and all, and the show became a hit series that has now been running for 13 years.

So ahead of the grand final, we examine some of the finest (and lamest) moves from previous seasons.

The first season of Dancing with the Stars saw actor Shane Cortese up against ex All Black Norm Hewitt in the final dance off. Nearly a million people tuned in to watch the finale, but despite the on-screen chemistry of Shane and his partner Nerida Lister (who he would go on to marry), it was Norm and Carol-Ann Hickmore who took the inaugural crown.

Watch runner-up Shane Cortese give it his best shot here:

As the third season of hit show began, broadcaster Paul Holmes was the underdog. Even his dance partner, Rebecca Nicholson, had doubts about his ability, likening his moves to a "Dad dance", but he persevered. By mid-season the canny broadcaster left the audience speechless as he danced the paso doble to Michael Jackson's Thriller – complete with zombie moves. Who knows what this "appallingly fabulous" dance spawned? Remember that the dance screened three years before Taika Waititi's Boy with its own "Thriller" moves…

Watch Paul Holmes 'appallingly fabulous' dance here:

Politicians are polarising figures – even on the dancefloor. This year, it was David Seymour getting the jibes, but in series two of Dancing with the Stars it was his predecessor Rodney Hide who was getting the jeers. He'd battled accusations of vote rigging, lost weight and won fans during his dancefloor turns, but there was no saving him after his failure to catch partner Krystal Stuart at the end of their cha-cha routine. Viewers watched the mishap through their fingers and the judges showed no mercy – giving poor old Rodney the lowest score possible.

Relive the drop here:

Sportspeople seem to have a slight advantage over politicians when it comes to co-ordination on the floor – and Temepara George was no exception. Battling it out for the crown, she was up against another Sport Billy – rugby league player Monty Betham. Although it was a tough competition, Temepara won over the public and the judges with her smooth foxtrot.

Watch Temepara's foxtrot here:

Another smooth operator was TV presenter (and future Labour MP) Tamati Coffey. His dramatic paso doble channelled his inner matador and won rave reviews from the judges. The dance showed he was a competitor to be feared and rightly so, for he eventually went on to claim the final – against public favourite Olympic champion Barbara Kendall.

Watch Tamati Coffey here:

But it's not all smooth sailing on Dancing with the Stars – to get that ballroom glide takes hours of practise and many falls on the way. This clip gives us a backstage glimpse at some of what goes on behind the scenes – hits, misses, slips and falls. There's even a painful looking crotch kick…. Ouch.

Watch bloopers from Dancing with the Stars here: