Melissa Katherine Rycroft-Strickland (born March 11, 1983) [1] is an American television personality, host, and dancer. She is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. She has participated as a bachelorette on the thirteenth season of ABC's The Bachelor , on the CMT reality TV series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team , and on the eighth and fifteenth seasons of ABC's Dancing with the Stars . Rycroft went on to host reality competition shows such as Bachelor Pad and Redneck Island.
Melissa Katherine Rycroft was born on March 11, 1983, in Dallas, Texas. [1] She studied dance from an early age and served as first lieutenant of her high school drill team. She majored in marketing at the University of North Texas [1] after transferring from the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega. [2] [3]
After graduating from the University of North Texas, Rycroft auditioned for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She danced for the team from 2006 to 2008. As a cheerleader, she made regular appearances on Country Music Television's reality show Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team . She also appears on the judging panel for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders auditions and is also a showmanship mentor to the training camp candidates . [1]
Rycroft appeared on the 13th season of The Bachelor as one of the 25 bachelorettes competing for bachelor Jason Mesnick. [4] In the season finale, Mesnick chose Rycroft over runner-up Molly Malaney, and proposed. Shortly after the proposal, Mesnick left Rycroft, explaining he had feelings for Malaney. Mesnick and Malaney married in 2010. [5]
Rycroft first competed on season eight of Dancing with the Stars where she was partnered with Tony Dovolani [6] and finished in third place. She and Dovolani once again served as partners in the All-Stars season and were announced as the winners on the season finale. She later served as the host of the 2015 Dancing with the Stars live tour.[ citation needed ] She later returned in season 27 as a trio partner to Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke.
Dancing with the Stars Performances (Season 15)
Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
1 | Foxtrot / "Big Spender" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
2 | Jive / "Shout" | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | Safe |
3 | Samba / "Conga" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
4 | Jitterbug / "This Cat's On A Hot Tin Roof" | 9 | 9 | 9.5* / 9.5 | Safe |
5 | Tango / "Toxic" Team Freestyle (Shawn) / "Call Me Maybe" | 9 9.5 | 9 10 | 9 10 | No Elimination |
6 | Viennese Waltz / "Why Ya Wanna" | 9.5 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
7 | Tango & Cha-Cha-Cha / "Die Young" Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing" | 10 Awarded | 9.5 10 | 9.5 Points | No Elimination |
8 | Quickstep / "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "Rumour Has It" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
9 | Hustle / "Walk the Dinosaur" Argentine Tango / "Dirty Diana" | 9 10 | 9.5 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
10 | Samba / "Conga" Freestyle / "I Was Here" Instant Samba / "Life Is A Highway" | 10 10 9.5 | 10 10 9.5 | 10 10 9.5 | Winner |
In 2012, Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland starred in their own reality show titled Melissa & Tye on CMT. The show ran for one season (eight episodes), from April 20, 2012, to June 8, 2012. [7]
Rycroft and husband Tye Strickland launched a podcast with YEA Networks on November 8, 2018. “Logically Irrational” delves into relationships, family, pop culture and Reality TV. Episodes release each Thursday morning on iTunes. [8]
Rycroft is a host of CMT's reality-TV show Redneck Island. [9] Rycroft left the Tribune morning show, Morning Dose, on June 1, 2018. [10]
Rycroft was briefly engaged to Jason Mesnick, whom she met on The Bachelor . Mesnick called the engagement off after he admitted he was in love with runner-up, Molly Malaney. Rycroft then reunited with a former boyfriend, salesman Tye Strickland. [11] The couple married and have three children. [12] [13] [14]