Dancing With The Stars (U.S. Season 7) - Season Notes

Season Notes

• Cloris Leachman became the oldest woman on Dancing with the Stars.
• During rehearsal of their first dance, Jeffrey Ross was accidentally poked in the eye by Edyta Śliwińska, suffering a scratched cornea. Against doctor's advice, Ross continued the competition. They were the first couple to be eliminated.
• On Friday, October 3, 2008, Misty May-Treanor was injured during practice. She received immediate medical attention. At the end of the next episode, on Monday, October 6, May-Treanor announced that she had ruptured her Achilles tendon, and thus had to withdraw from the competition; moreover, she had surgery scheduled for October 7. She plans to return to volleyball competition after her recovery, stating that she had already planned to take some time off, so this injury did not affect her career. On the results show the next night, Bergeron revealed that no one would be eliminated that week because of May-Treanor's withdrawal; instead, the Week 3 scores would be combined with the scores from Week 4. He also revealed that Rocco DiSpirito would have been eliminated.
• On Sunday, October 19, 2008, Brooke Burke was injured during the camera blocking for her Jitterbug with partner Derek Hough. She was doing a front flip and came down too hard on her right foot. She put ice on it immediately, but ended up going to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Monday morning, October 20, 2008, for treatment and X-rays. There, it was determined that she had severely bruised her foot, but as of Monday afternoon, an ABC spokesperson told People magazine that Burke and Hough were still planning to perform on that night's live show. They did just that, and went on to receive a 29 for their Jitterbug, remaining at the top of the leaderboard for the fifth straight week.
• On the Monday, October 20 show, Tom Bergeron announced that Susan Lucci had fractured two bones in her foot, but she would still dance her Hustle that night.
• On the Tuesday, October 21 results show, Tom Bergeron announced that Michael Flatley would sit in as a guest judge for Len Goodman during Week 6. Goodman got one week off due to an "impossible schedule," as stated by Samantha Harris.
• Forty minutes after the Tuesday, October 21 results show Julianne Hough was taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for increasingly painful stomach pains. Initially Hough said she was taking a day off from the group rehearsal to relax and try and feel better. However, on October 27 she was diagnosed with endometriosis. She announced on the October 27th show that she would undergo surgery to remove her appendix on October 28, and that she would bow out of the competition until she recovers. Her partner Cody Linley worked with Edyta Śliwińska for Weeks 7 and 8 of the competition. Hough returned to the show for Week 9, the semi-finals, on November 17.
• Julianne Hough's scheduled performance for the October 21st results show was pre-recorded and postponed. It aired during the November 18th results show with Mark, Derek, and Lacey performing a choreographed routine along with Julianne.
• On Thursday, October 30, Lacey Schwimmer reported that she has endometriosis but she would continue the show because her condition would not require surgery.
• Due to ABC's television coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election on November 4, 2008, the Week 7 results show was moved to Wednesday, November 5.
• Tuesday, November 25 marked the first time since Season 3 that a couple (or two) did not receive a perfect 30 for their favorite dance of the season, as Lance Bass received a 28 and Warren Sapp received a 27.
• During the season, Toni Braxton had a tumor under her breast and was scheduled not to go on tour, though after it was removed, she reported she would.