Biography melissa rycroft dancing

1. Biography of Melissa Rycroft
2. Reality Show Contestant and Former Cheerleader
3. The Bachelor and Heartbreak
4. Dancing with the Stars and Second Place Finish
5. Marriage and Motherhood
6. Television Appearances

Biography of Melissa Rycroft

Melissa Katherine Rycroft-Strickland was born on March 11, 1983, in Dallas, Texas. She attended Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, where she was a member of the school's dance team and graduated in 2001.

Reality Show Contestant and Former Cheerleader

Rycroft gained recognition as a former cheerleader for the "Dallas Cowboys" and a contestant on the reality show "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team." She also participated in the 8th season of ABC's reality show "Dancing with the Stars." In 2009, Rycroft was featured in People magazine's list of "Most Beautiful People" and ranked 99th on Maxim magazine's "Hot 100" list.

The Bachelor and Heartbreak

Rycroft became a contestant on the 13th season of ABC's reality show "The Bachelor," where she vied for the heart of bachelor Jason Mesnick. After making it to the final two, Mesnick chose Rycroft and proposed to her. However, in a subsequent episode called "After the Final Rose (Part One)," which was recorded six weeks after the finale, it became clear that Mesnick had broken up with Rycroft after realizing he still had feelings for the runner-up, Molly Malaney.

Dancing with the Stars and Second Place Finish

Rycroft replaced Nancy O'Dell in the 8th season of "Dancing with the Stars" after O'Dell suffered an injury during rehearsals. She was partnered with professional dancer Tony Dovolani, and despite having only two days of experience together, they finished in 2nd place in the first week and ultimately placed 3rd in the finale on May 19, 2009. Rycroft later returned to "Dancing with the Stars" for the 15th season in a special all-star edition.

Marriage and Motherhood

After her experience on "The Bachelor," Rycroft began a relationship with Tye Strickland, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship for two years. In June 2009, they announced their engagement on Twitter and got married on December 12, 2009, in Mexico. On October 20, 2010, Rycroft revealed on CBS' "The Talk" that she was pregnant and expecting a baby girl. On February 16, 2011, she and Strickland welcomed their first child, daughter Ava Grace Strickland.

Television Appearances

In addition to her reality show appearances, Rycroft has appeared on various talk shows, including "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." She has also co-hosted the first season of ABC's reality show "Bachelor Pad" with Chris Harrison, which premiered on August 9, 2010.