(Spoiler alert: Please do not read if you haven’t watched Monday’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars”)
Monday saw a third couple sent home from “Dancing With the Stars” — and plenty of tears were shed in the process.
After departing from the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys last year, Michael Sam was voted off the ABC competition following consecutive weeks of low scores.
The first openly gay player in the NFL and his dancing partner, Peta Murgatroyd, became the third casualties of Season 20.
Before the inevitable elimination, the theme of the night was familiar enough as it was dubbed “the most memorable year of your life.” Sadly, there was nothing memorable about Sam’s performance as he danced the rumba to a song from the Tony Award-winning musical “Kinky Boots.”
The former football star did bring tears to many an eye as he recalled his difficult childhood after being abandoned by his father.
As expected U.S. Army veteran, athlete and amputee Noah Galloway shared an emotional journey as he recounted his experiences in Iraq. Galloway talked about the roadside bomb that blasted off his limbs, and of the depression that later drove him to drink when he returned to America.
Not surprisingly, “The Bachelor” star Chris Soules chose 2014 as his most memorable year as it was when he shot to fame on ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”
Rumer Willis shared how tough it was growing up as the daughter of one of the most beautiful women in the world and being called “ugly,” “buttaface” (slang for everything is attractive but her face), “Mr. Potato Head,” and being told she looked more like her dad, Bruce Willis, than mom Demi Moore (who was once again in the audience).
Willis with partner Val Chmerkovskiyand Nastia Liukinand Derek Hough are currently leading the pack.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
22 Most Groundbreaking Reality TV Shows (Photos)
SURVIVOR Now in its 30th season, viewers have tuned in to the reality game show in droves since 2000 to watch ordinary people physically, mentally and strategically duel with each other in order to win $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor.
CBS
AMERICAN IDOL The first televised competition show to let viewers vote on the talent themselves, "Idol" may no longer be a ratings juggernaut, but it still proves exciting.
Fox
THE BACHELOR Though the actual long-term success rate remains shockingly low, viewers do seem to love the idea of "the bachelor" selecting from a pool of beautiful women in order to find a wife.
ABC
PROJECT RUNWAY Even viewers not into fashion can understand this show's appeal: a reality competition that requires its contestants to actually make something to prove they deserve to win.
Lifetime
REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY The originator of the "Real Housewives" brand, "RHOC" showed viewers that being rich doesn't spare people messed-up lives; oftentimes, it actually makes those messes worse.
Bravo
JON AND KATE PLUS 8 Viewers tuned in to get a glimpse of how an exceptionally large family operates, but they stayed once Jon and Kate decided to divorce.
TLC
JERSEY SHORE The housemates show earned record ratings for MTV, due in large part to controversy of how Italian-Americans on the East Coast were portrayed.
MTV
THE OSBOURNES At one time MTV's highest rated show, it offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a rock legend and his family. Viewers also tuned in to see if Ozzy was ever not stoned. (He wasn't.)
MTV
THE HILLS Originally a spinoff of "Laguna Beach," this semi-scripted series initially followed Lauren Conrad's pursuit of a career in fashion, but slowly degenerated into a series of feuds with Heidi Montag.
MTV
THE REAL WORLD Before it regressed to the mean, "The Real World" was one of the first reality shows to explore issues facing young adults: sex, religion, death, politics and even AIDS.
MTV
AMAZING RACE Combining a physical reality competition with exotic locales most viewers will never get a chance to see continues to prove a winning formula.
CBS
DEADLIEST CATCH This fishing boat-based program offers a rarity for viewers: a docu-series about a dangerous profession. Coast Guard rescue squads have frequently been a part of the show.
Discovery
BIG BROTHER If you throw a number of volatile personalities into a room together, you can bet people will tune in to watch the explosions.
CBS
RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE If Tyra Banks could find the world's next supermodel, why can't RuPaul do the same for drag queens?
Logo TV
PAWN STARS It's hard to say what's more appealing: getting a dose of history in everyday artifacts that are brought in for appraisal, or the interactions of the colorful Harrison family that owns the shop.
History
AMERICAN CHOPPER Centered on the Teutel family and their shop, the series showcased contrasting styles and verbal arguments between Paul Sr. and his son. Arguments drove ratings until Junior's dismissal from the show.
Discovery
TOP CHEF Fans of good food love this competition show about aspiring chefs cooking their way to the prize money awarded to the winner.
Bravo
HERE COMES HONEY BOO BOO Described as both offensive and exploitative, this spinoff of "Toddlers & Tiaras" instantly became must-see-TV and made its 6-year-old star a cultural lightning rod.
TLC
JACKASS Who wouldn't want to watch a group of friends torture and humiliate each other? Such is the appeal of "Jackass," which spawned three (and a half) movies and an acting career for Johnny Knoxville.
MTV
KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS Attracting instant notoriety for a sex tape featuring its star, this Kardashian chronicle has proven to be one of the most popular reality shows of the current era.
E!
DUCK DYNASTY Following a Louisiana family made wealthy by their duck-hunting products, the Robertsons became cultural icons for their ZZ-Top beards and frank yet cheerful outlooks.
A&E
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From ”Real World“ to ”Utopia,“ these shows have helped to innovate the genre