Witney Carson reveals that she didn’t tell producers that she was diagnosed with melanoma, fearing it would cause her to be cut from the show.
Dancing With the Stars professional Witney Carson revealed that she didn’t tell producers about her melanoma diagnosis in 2014. Witney started on television when she was a contestant in So You Think You Can Dance season 9. She made it to the top six before she got eliminated, competing in the same season as fellow DWTS pro and lifelong best friend Lindsay Arnold. Witney was an all-star during SYTYCD season 10 and joined DWTS in 2013 as a troupe dancer.
Witney spent two seasons in the DWTS troupe before being promoted to pro for season 18. During her first season, she was partnered with Australian singer Cody Simpson, and the couple finished in ninth place. In DWTS season 19, her partner was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star and TV personality Alfonso Ribeiro. The couple dominated the season with memorable and entertaining routines and took home the Mirrorball Trophy. Witney was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography for her work with Alfonso. It was recently announced that Alfonso would be the new co-host for DWTS season 31, which returns this fall on Disney+. Other celebrities Witney has danced with include Milo Manheim, Frankie Muniz, Carlos PeñaVega and Vanilla Ice.
In an interview with People, Witney reflected on being diagnosed with melanoma in 2014 and how she handled it. She revealed that she didn’t tell anyone from DWTS about her diagnosis, fearing it would cost her this new opportunity. She said, “All of a sudden, I get diagnosed with melanoma, and of course, being myself, I’m like, ‘It’s fine. I can still go on the show.'” She shared that she felt “embarrassed” to be diagnosed because “I was an athlete, and I was supposed to be encompassing everything healthy and fit.” Witney revealed that she did not tell her partner, Cody, and wanted people on DWTS to think she was “perfectly healthy.”
Witney described the pain she endured while fighting melanoma, saying, “It was just spreading so quickly, and they had to get rid of the lymph nodes, and there was lots of healing time. I think I took six weeks and then I went straight to Dancing with the Stars. My foot was wrapped. I still had stitches in it.” She shared that she ripped her stitches open during an early DWTS rehearsal and “had to get my foot wrapped every week after I did the live show.”
Witney has lit up the ballroom on DWTS since joining the show, and she’s become one of the most popular pros in its 30-season history. Although her first season didn’t go as planned, she made the most of the opportunity. Witney is currently gearing up for the new season of Dancing With The Stars, and while fans don’t know if she will officially return, she is almost certainly a lock every season.
Source: People
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