Chmerkovskiy first appeared in the second season of the ABC series "Dancing with the Stars" partnered with actress Tia Carrere. The pair's most successful dance was their tango. They finished in sixth place. The following season, he and partner singer Willa Ford came in seventh place. Chmerkovskiy returned to "Dancing with the Stars" in March 2007 for Season 4, this time partnered with boxer Laila Ali. They made it to the finals and finished in third place. In Season 5 of "Dancing with the Stars", he was partnered with Melanie Brown and the couple received second place. Following the season 5 finale, Chmerkovskiy reportedly told "TV Guide Magazine" he would not be returning to the show, something he later told "People Magazine" he had announced his departure because of stress. Chmerkovskiy did not compete in Season 6, although he and former partner Melanie Brown made an appearance for the 100th episode.