Kimmy Kimmel gave an update on just how much he loves betting on “Dancing With the Stars”.
In April 2024, the ABC late-night host stunned DWTS season 16 runner-up Zendaya by revealing that he made five figures by betting on her to win the ABC celebrity ballroom competition back in 2013.
Here’s what you need to know:
Jimmy Kimmel Won $12,000 By Betting on Zendaya to Win ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Zendaya was just 16 years old when she competed on “Dancing With the Stars” more than a decade ago. The future “Euphoria” star finished in second place with pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy that season. Singer Kellie Pickler was the mirrorball trophy winner with pro Derek Hough.
But even though Zendaya “lost” that season, Kimmel won. On the April 18, 2024, episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Kimmel recalled that Zendaya’s impressive run on the ABC dancing show helped fatten his wallet. “I bet quite a bit of money on you and won quite a bit of money on you,” Kimmel told the actress.
After Zendaya noted that she “didn’t win” but “got pretty far,” Kimmel dropped numbers.
“Can I tell you, I think I won $12,000?” Kimmel laughed.
“What??” Zendaya replied. “Well, you’re welcome!” she told the late-night host.
Jimmy Kimmel Regularly Makes Predictions About Who Will Win ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Kimmel has worked for ABC since 2003, but that doesn’t mean he has any inside information on who will win “Dancing with the Stars.” The comic has been vocal about his love for predicting who will win the ABC dance-off, but he’s not always right. On his late-night show, he regularly shares his picks in a monologue segment with his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez.
As “Dancing With the Stars” season 24 began to air in 2017, Kimmel told his viewers he was “golden” when it came to his DWTS betting bracket. He then correctly predicted that Rashad Jennings would be the winner.
In season 25, Kimmel began a bit of losing steak again when he predicted that Los Angeles Lakers star Derek Fisher would win. Kimmel admitted the basketball player was a “longshot,” but stood by his pick. “I am counting on D-Fish to deliver one more championship to the city of Los Angeles,” Kimmel said. “And Derek, I know you will not let me down.”
Fisher lost DWTS to another Fisher: Broadway actor Jordan Fisher. D-Fish was the third contestant eliminated that season.
In 2018, Kimmel predicted who would win the all-athletes edition of DWTS. “I bet real money on it, and over the years I’ve correctly guessed the winner 10 out of 20 times,” he said of his track record. “It’s one of my greatest/saddest accomplishments.”
Kimmel noted that predicting the winner of the all-athlete season was the toughest one because all of the contestants had athletic ability. Kimmel ultimately bet on former Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, but he was wrong. Norman, who was partnered with pro dancer Sharna Burgess, landed as the runner-up that season. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon won the mirrorball trophy that year with Jenna Johnson.
For season 27, Kimmel picked former Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware. But the football star didn’t even make the finals and was the 7th contestant eliminated.
And for season 28, the ABC host predicted James VanDerBeek would win the DWTS competition. Unfortunately, the “Dawson’s Creek” actor fell way short, landing in fifth place on “Bachelorette” Hannah Brown’s winning season.
