VIDEO: DANCING WITH THE STARS Special Preview - Melissa Rycroft

There are no roses in the ballroom, only a Mirrorball Trophy. That's just fine with Melissa Rycroft. 

One week after the most talked about season finale of ABC's The Bachelor, Melissa Rycroft stepped onto the dance floor in heroic fashion on Dancing with the Stars. With just two days to prepare for her nationally televised ballroom dancing debut, Melissa displayed character and strength overcoming nerves, anxiety and the pressure to perform in front of a live audience. Paired with professional dancer, Tony Dovolani, Melissa "waltzed" her way into America's hearts and into a third-place finish on Season 8 of the hit ABC series. 

In April 2012, CMT Network launched Melissa's latest television project, Melissa and Tye: A New Reality which explores the ups and downs of Melissa's desire to explore her career in Los Angeles while maintain relationships with her family and friends in Dallas as her husband commutes each week to build his Dallas based business. 

In December of 2010, Melissa married her longtime sweetheart, Tye Strickland, in a seaside ceremony in Mexico that received world-wide attention, Soon after, she took on co-hosting duties on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve for ABC where she appeared alongside host Ryan Seacrest. In 2009, Melissa joined ABC News as a special contributor for Good Morning America where she's appeared on the morning news broadcast delivering fun and uplifting stories from across the country and from Hollywood's most glamorous red carpets. 

Melissa was a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and appeared on two seasons of CMT's Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. She graced the cover of the April 13, 2009 issue of People Magazine and was featured among their 100 Most Beautiful People of 2009. Rycroft has also been named to Maxim's Hot 100 list. Melissa graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in Marketing. She resides in Dallas, TX and Los Angeles, CA.