Did Alfonso Ribeiro win ‘Dancing With the Stars?’

Alfonso Ribeiro is now known to Dancing With the Stars fans as the funny and gregarious host of the hit ABC show, but his first experience in the ballroom was actually as a celebrity dancer.

Ribeiro was one of the 13 contestants battling it out with their pros for the Mirrorball trophy in season 19. The actor and comedian was paired with sophomore pro Witney Carson for the season, which aired in the fall of 2014, and they achieved strong scores together starting on their very first night.

Since appearing on the show, we know that Ribeiro has grown tired of being asked to do the Carlton, but what was his dancing fate while partnered with Carson?

Did Alfonso Ribeiro win his season of Dancing With the Stars?

Ribeiro and Carson were an excellent couple in the ballroom and were crowned the winners of season 19 after three flawless dances over the course of two nights. On night one, they performed a jive and a freestyle that earned them perfect scores from the four judges for a total of 80 points. On night two, they scored four 10s from the judges for their Argentine Tango/Cha Cha fusion.

Not only did the pair take home the Mirrorball trophy, but their win was notable for a few other reasons. Carson became one of only six professional dancers to win the trophy within their first two seasons as a pro and also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography. Ribeiro was one of four celebrity contestants in the history of DWTS to get a 9 from the four judges ⏤ Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Julianne Hough ⏤ in the first week, wherein he and Carson danced a jive. Ribeiro and Hough are now reuniting as the co-hosts of season 32, marking Ribeiro’s second foray as co-host after partnering with Tyra Banks on season 31.

The love Ribeiro has for the DWTS world is clear. When he was first on the show as a celebrity, he revealed that he had been trying to get on since its first season. “This is the moment I’ve waited 10 years for,” he tweeted after his season 19 win. As he told ABC News, “This…is worth waiting for. The right thing happened at the right time. I think it was the right, the right time with my family, you know if I had done it before last season, I wouldn’t have gotten Witney.”

When he made his return to the ballroom, Ribeiro explained why his win ultimately helped him with his hosting duties: “I’m here because of the fact that I have so much experience with the show. Because of that, it brings a familiarity that I don’t think a lot of other hosts in the business might automatically come in with.”