# Melissa Rycroft

Melissa Katherine Rycroft-Strickland (born March 11, 1983) is an American television personality, host, and dancer. She is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and television personality. She has participated as a bachelorette on the thirteenth season of ABC's The Bachelor, on the CMT reality TV series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, and on the eighth and fifteenth seasons of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Rycroft went on to host reality competition shows such as Bachelor Pad and Redneck Island.

## Early life

Melissa Katherine Rycroft was born on March 11, 1983, in Dallas, Texas. She studied dance from an early age and served as first lieutenant of her high school drill team. She majored in marketing at the University of North Texas after transferring from the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

## Career
### Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

After graduating from the University of North Texas, Rycroft auditioned for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She danced for the team from 2006 to 2008. As a cheerleader, she made regular appearances on Country Music Television's reality show Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. She also appears on the judging panel for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders auditions and is also a showmanship mentor to the training camp candidates .

### The Bachelor

Rycroft appeared on the 13th season of The Bachelor as one of the 25 bachelorettes competing for bachelor Jason Mesnick. In the season finale, Mesnick chose Rycroft over runner-up Molly Malaney, and proposed. Shortly after the proposal, Mesnick left Rycroft, explaining he had feelings for Malaney. Mesnick and Malaney married in 2010.

### Dancing with the Stars

Rycroft first competed on season eight of Dancing with the Stars where she was partnered with Tony Dovolani and finished in third place. She and Dovolani once again served as partners in the All-Stars season and were announced as the winners on the season finale. She later served as the host of the 2015 Dancing with the Stars live tour. She later returned in season 27 as a trio partner to Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke.
Dancing with the Stars Performances (Season 15)
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Result |
| Week # | Dance/Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Result |
| 1 | Foxtrot/ "Big Spender" | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe |
| 2 | Jive / "Shout" | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Conga" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 4 | Jitterbug / "This Cat's On A Hot Tin Roof" | 9 | 9 | 9.5* / 9.5 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Toxic" Team Freestyle (Shawn) / "Call Me Maybe" | 9 9.5 | 9 10 | 9 10 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Why Ya Wanna" | 9.5 | 10 | 10 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango & Cha-Cha-Cha / "Die Young" Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing" | 10 Awarded | 9.5 10 | 9.5 Points | No Elimination |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "Rumour Has It" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | Safe |
| 9 | Hustle / "Walk the Dinosaur" Argentine Tango / Dirty Diana | 9 10 | 9.5 10 | 9 10 | Safe |
| 10 | Samba / "Conga" Freestyle / I Was Here Instant Samba / "Life Is A Highway" | 10 10 9.5 | 10 10 9.5 | 10 10 9.5 | Winner |

### Melissa & Tye

In 2012, Rycroft and her husband Tye Strickland starred in their own reality show titled Melissa & Tye on CMT. The show ran for one season (eight episodes), from April 20, 2012, to June 8, 2012.

### Logically Irrational

Rycroft and husband Tye Strickland launched a podcast with YEA Networks on November 8, 2018. “Logically Irrational” delves into relationships, family, pop culture and Reality TV. Episodes release each Thursday morning on iTunes.

### Other shows

Rycroft is a host of CMT's reality-TV show Redneck Island. Rycroft left the Tribune morning show, Morning Dose, on June 1, 2018.

## Personal life

Rycroft was briefly engaged to Jason Mesnick, whom she met on The Bachelor. Mesnick called the engagement off after he admitted he was in love with runner-up, Molly Malaney. Rycroft then reunited with a former boyfriend, salesman Tye Strickland. The couple married and have three children.