Inside the late Kirstie Alley’s Dancing With The Stars season 12 success Tue 6 December 2022 11:07 Updated Tue 6 December 2022 11:27 Celine Byford
Andrew Mccoy
Published Apr 05, 2026
Kirstie Alley, best known for starring on NBC sitcom Cheers, has passed away at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer. She appeared on Dancing With The Stars season 12, where she seriously impressed viewers week in, and week out.
In February 2011, Kirstie was announced as a contestant in season 12 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and again in season 15 for a second chance to win the Mirrorball trophy.
Fans are now remembering Kirstie’s waltzing success on DWTS. From her first dance, a cha-cha-cha, earning her the second-highest score to where she placed in the competition, Reality Titbit looks back on her best moments.
Kirstie Alley dies after cancer battle
Kirstie’s death was announced on her Instagram profile by her two adopted children Lillie and William in a statement:
To all our friends, far and wide around the world… We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer. Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled.
They added that the cancer was “only recently discovered” and thanked doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care. Kirstie began acting in the early 1980s and finished her role as Rebecca Howe in Cheers in 1993.
Kirstie’s success on DWTS
Kirstie wasn’t just a successful actress but a star on the dancefloor. She joined Dancing With The Stars season 12 in 2011. During the season, Kirstie and Maksim’s final dance, a cha-cha-cha, earned them a perfect score of 30 out of 30.
Their first dance was also a cha-cha-cha, earning them the second-highest score, 23 points of a possible 30. The actress finished the competition in second place, behind NFL Super Bowl champion Hines Ward.
Kirstie never achieved lower than a six, which was only used once by Len Goodman for their Rumba in week three. All other dances secured a vote of at least seven from the DWTS judges, which explains how she became a runner-up!
Viewers will remember Kirstie’s fall when Maks almost dropped her during a lean. Her dancing partner has paid tribute to her on Instagram and wrote: “You were one of the most unique people I have ever met.”
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She reappeared on DWTS: All Stars
Kirstie made a DWTS comeback when she competed again in season 15 for the All-Stars spin-off. With Maks as her partner once more, they were the seventh couple eliminated from the competition after reaching week eight.
In week four, Kirstie was in the bottom two after her Charleston dance but was saved by the judges. The following week, she scored nines across the board for her team’s freestyle to Gangnam Style.
She also received an additional score of 7.5 awarded by guest judge Paula Abdul. Kirstie is the first finalist of American DWTS to pass away and has been remembered widely for her successful time on DWTS.
In the US, contact Cancer Care at 800‑813‑HOPE (4673) or visit this link, [email protected]. You can also call the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-234 or visit their website ()
In the UK you can call Breast Cancer Now free on 0808 800 6000 or visit Cancer Research UK (), or Macmillan Cancer Support ().
