Carrie Ann Inaba in tears as Andy Dick performs emotional ballroom tribute to his daughter

Carrie Ann Inaba in tears as Andy Dick performs emotional ballroom tribute to his daughter... while Lisa Vanderpump dances on after fainting fit on DWTS

He and his partner Sharna Burgess found themselves in the bottom two last week. 

But after vowing to improve, troubled comic Andy Dick brought the emotions to the surface of both the audience and judges on Monday night's Dancing with the Stars, as he dedicated the Viennese waltz to his 15-year-old daughter.

'This has been the best year, because of sobriety,' he said. 'My daughter Meg is the apple of my eye,' he said. 'We have a super special relationship. She's like a mini version of me.'

Dancing tribute: Comic Andy Dick and his partner Sharna Burgess performed the Viennese waltz on Monday's Dancing with the Stars 

'My troubles become their troubles. I've put them through hell,' said an emotional Andy, who has battled substance abuse and has been arrested several times.

'She used to dance for me,' he said, in tears. 'At 47 [years old] I'm going to dance for her.'

Andy was a highlight of the show which saw the hopefuls doing routines based on the best years of their lives with a dance that reflected those experiences.

Each star also had to do a solo spot within their routine - which proved daunting for some.

Musicality: Andy danced to he and his daughter Megan's favourite song Hallelujah

Solo bravado: Part of the challenge on Monday included performing a dance segment alone 

Cheering from the sidelines: Andy;'s daughter Megan looked thrilled with her father's emotional dance 

He and Sharna danced to Leonard Cohen song, Hallelujah - he and his daughter's favourite song.

Andy looked poised and confident as he danced with Sharna before his solo spot saw him twirl across the floor alone, before he ran to Meg and embraced her at the end.

'Simple, effective and straight from the heart. It had a wonderful, fragile quality,' said Bruno, who said it was Andy's best dance yet.

An extremely emotional Carrie Ann struggled to talk through her tears after she was overcome by the routine.

Emotions on show: Carrie Ann could hardly speak through her tears following Andy's routine 

Hug of congratulations: Still in tears, Carrie Ann left her seat to embrace Andy 

Tearful: Andy welled up at seeing how his dance had touched Carrie Ann 

'Come here,' she told Andy, before giving him a hug. 'It was so beautiful, like the simplest poem. What you said with those few moments was so beautiful.'

'Len, don't be a buzzkill,' warned Tom Bergeron before the head judge Goodman said his piece.

'You came on to this show a man. Whatever happens you'll go out of it a hero,' he said. 

'I didn't fall flat on my face baby!' Andy said to his daughter afterwards.

All three judges gave them seven points each, making a total of 21 points out of 30 - the best score of the season for the comic so far.

Moment of fear: Lisa looked disorientated after fainting mid practice 

Sprawled on the floor: Lisa suddenly collapsed on the floor mid practice, much to the concern of her partner Gleb Savchenko

Not doing so well; Lisa suddenly fell to the floor as she and Gleb were practising the cha cha cha 

Meanwhile, Real Housewives star Lisa Vanderpump had a very different set of emotions to battle - the possibility that she might not have been able to perform due to illness. 

Doctors warned the reality star to rest after telling her she had a viral infection following her fainting during rehearsals of the cha cha cha. 

But she insisted on dancing and revealed that the best year of her life was when daughter Pandora got married.

'It gave me a chance to be mummy again,' Lisa said.

Viewers saw her pushing herself in rehearsals after a long week before she passed out. 

Small comfort: Lisa was upset after coming round, holding her head in her hands 

Under doctor's orders: Lisa almost didn't make it to the ballroom after the physician ordered her to rest

'What happened?' asked partner Gleb Savchenko. Her doctor told her she probably had flu and told her to rest.

'I don't want her to hurt herself,' said Gleb who insisted on taking her home against her wishes. 

Lisa bravely bounced back to do the cha cha cha to Celebration by Kool & the Gang. Their high-octane routine opened with them pretending to be husband and wife at the altar before she tossed away her bouquet and ripped off her bridal gown. 

The sexy dance saw her show off her toned legs before Gleb tore off his shirt to reveal his torso - wearing just braces.

Hands aloft in triumph: Lisa only just made it onto the floor at the last minute 

Raising a smile: Lisa put on a brave face as she stepped on to the ballroom 

Mustering up the energy: Lisa and Gleb injected some pep into the routine despite their weary week 

Looking good: Lisa sported a bright pink and nude sequinned ensemble showing off her slim figure 

Len said: 'You've been poorly and come out and given it your best shot. For what you've been through, you did a very good job.'

Bruno - who said she looked very well given her illness - said: 'What you did, you did well.'

And Carrie said to Lisa: 'You're looking really good, I have to say.'

'Thank you,' said Lisa. 'It's been a tough few days.'

The judges all gave them six points each for a total of 18 out of 30.

'It's not how many times you fall, it's how many times you get up that's important,' said Lisa afterwards who said she would take each day at a time as the contest went on.

Tough week: Lisa said she would try to take each day as it comes for the remainder of the contest

Cheering from the sidelines: Lisa's daughter Pandora, her husband Ken Todd and their pet dog were all watching from the audience 

The show provided a series of highly emotional turns as the stars bared their souls.

'The year 2012 was the best of my life, because of my son being born,' said American football star Jacoby Jones.

'I didn't have a daddy growing up,' he told dance partner Karina Smirnoff as he emotionally admitted he has never met his father.

The pair wowed the judges the previous week with their sexy rumba. But he seemed to be struggling to master the fox-trot in practice.

Happy memories: Jacoby Jones told partner Karina Smirnoff the best year of his life was when his son was born

Dancing for my baby: The American football star showed his prowess in rehearsal 

As they began to dance to the Rodney Atkins song, Watching You, Jacoby looked a little stilted.  But he seemed to find his feet as the dance went on. 

And the crowd roared as he danced solo to his little boy who was sitting in the audience, wearing a tiny white suit. 

The adorable tot looked wide-eyed as his father twirled about on the floor.  Seeing his son seemed to give him more confidence, and the crowd seemed to agree.

'I think your son is so proud of you,' said Carrie Ann. 'That was so cute. 'There was something so joyous about it. I think you have a real shot at winning this.'

Hot to trot: Jacoby impressed the judges with his energetic routine 

Jumping for joy: Jacoby made an impressive leap into the air in front of his cheering family 

Acrobatic: The couple performed to Rodney Atkins song, Watching You

Little fan: Jacoby's little son looked like he was enjoying seeing his father in action 

'I was a fan of that foxtrot,' said Len Goodman. 'Big guys trying to do elegance is great.'

But he said he had to watch his hands - likening them to spatulas. 'Great talent,' Bruno added.

Afterwards, Jacoby said he hoped his son would one day watch the dance and think: 'My daddy took chances and succeeded.'

All three judges awarded them eight points each, giving them a total of 24 points.

Soap actor Ingo Rademacher said 2009 was the best year of his life, because that's when he married his 'beautiful wife, Ehiku, with whom he has two sons.

'I had nothing. My life really started when I met her and we had kids,' he said.

Waltzing in white: Kym Johnson and soap star Ingo Rademacher performed a tribute to his wife Ehiku

Meaningful tune: The couple danced to song A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri, from the Twilight soundtrack

He and partner Kym Johnson did the Viennese waltz to the song A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri, from the Twilight soundtrack.

And Ehiku and his boys joined him in practice to offer their support - but his elder son, Peanut, only gave him three points out of 10 for his efforts.

The pair, dressed all in white, looked elegant as they moved around the floor to the slow song.

'He's going to want to give you more than a three for that,' Tom Bergeron said of Ingo's son who was in the audience with his mother.

'I commend you on your footwork,' said Len Goodman. 'Unfortunately there were a couple of little incidents with the arms,' he added as the crowd booed him. 'Don't hold a grudge for the judge!'

Solid scores: The couple were given a total of 23 out of 30 points from the judges

Proud other half: Ehiku was watching with the couple's children from the audience

Bruno said: 'Elegant, dashing and deeply confident,' while Carrie Ann added: 'Your posture blossomed. When you add love to these dances they just blossom.'

'To dance for my wife and family like this is incredible,Ingo said afterwards. 

Carrie Ann awarded them eight points, while Len gave them seven, and Bruno gave them eight for a total of 23 points out of 30.

Country music star Kellie Pickler - a favorite to win the show - did the rumba with partner Derek Hough.

'The best thing that's ever happened to me was my husband,' she said as she revealed she would dance to the song Say I Do, written by her husband Kyle Jacobs - who would be singing it too.

Happy memories: Kellie Pickler's happiest memories were with her husband Kyle Jacobs 

Matrimonial tribute: Derek Hough and Kellie performed the rumba in front of Kellie's husband 

Songwriting: Kyle Jacobs performed song Say I Do while his wife danced

Kellie said her parents let her down so she never had a stable relationship until she met Kyle, whom she says is her 'sanctuary'. And she told how they planned a huge wedding but decided at the last minute to make it a more intimate affair and eloped to the Caribbean, where they wed on January 1, 2011.

'I wanted it to be sacred and about us,' she said. 'That song is our life, it's our story.'

Kyle sat on stage and sang and played a guitar while his wife and Derek danced with passion, before a beaming Kellie ended the dance facing him and then planted a huge kiss on his face to the delight of the audience, and her fellow contestants.

Favourite week: Kellie said Monday's show was her favourite week so far

High scorers: One of the favourites to win the Mirror ball, Kellie's dance impressed the judges

Carrie Ann, who again got emotional, said: 'You make the most beautiful pictures with your body.'

Len said: 'You were immersed. I thought your husband's music was wonderful.

'[But] the movement was a touch staccato.'

Carrie Ann gave them nine, Len gave them eight and Bruno gave them nine, for a total of 26 points out of 30.

The youngest contest on the show, Zendaya Coleman did a samba with Val Chmerkovskiy to mark the year she finally figured out what she wanted to do with her life.

'I chose 2009, the year I really started working in LA,' said the 16-year-old Disney starlet. 'I guess that was the year I got discovered.'

They danced to Love on Top by Beyonce because Zendaya was inspired by a Beyonce gig she went to in 2009.

Energy of youth: Zendaya Coleman did a samba with Val Chmerkovskiy to mark the year she finally figured out what she wanted to do with her life

Dance spirit: They danced to Love on Top by Beyonce because Zendaya was inspired by a Beyonce gig she went to in 2009

She again showed why she is a frontrunner to win the contest, effortlessly spinning around the dance floor and exuding self-belief. 

Carrie Ann said: 'Honey, you are baby Beyonce! Beyonce better watch her back.'

Len - who got annoyed with Carrie's tears again - said: 'I would have liked a little more samba in the solo section. There's no question you are a fantastic dancer.'

'You've got it, oh baby you've got it,' sang Bruno. 'Every kid who watches you wants to go out and dance like you.'

Carrie Ann gave them nine points, Len gave them eight and Bruno gave them nine for a total of 26 points out of 30.

Getting in touch with my Beyonce: The actress looked like she was enjoying channelling her inner diva in the ballroom

High scoring couple: The twosome were marked an impressive total of 26 points out of 30.

'Without question the best year ever of my life was 2012,' said Bachelor star Sean Lowe.

'The Bachelor is one thing but that pales in comparison to finding [fiancée] Catherine [Giudici].'

He said he was lucky to have his parents still be together after 36 years of marriage - and said he always wanted to emulate what they had.

He and partner Peta Murgatroyd chose to do the Viennese waltz to the Jason Mraz song, I Won't Give Up.

'I was fortunate enough to find [love] the second time around. I wanted to spend every waking minute with Catherine. I hope she sees how much I love her through this Viennese waltz,' he said. 

They instantly won the audience's approval with the slow dance, looking poised and graceful - before he danced away from Peta to give Catherine, watching from the sidelines, a kiss on the lips and telling her: 'I love you.'

Blue on blue: Sean and Peta paid tribute to Sean's new fiancé as they danced the Viennese waltz

Bachelor in blue: The blonde reality star gushed how much he was grateful for love second time round 

Singing for his fiancée: Sean looked delighted after performing the Viennese waltz to the Jason Mraz song, I Won't Give Up.

Judge Len Goodman said: 'He was steaming and I'm beaming. That was a pretty good effort. 

'I think you were getting excited to get over to your fiance.'

Bruno Tonioli added: 'That was so sweet. He had the wide eyed innocence of  child.'

Carrie Ann Inaba said: 'What they said exactly.'

Len gave them seven, Bruno gave them seven and Carrie Ann awarded them six - giving them a total of 20 out of 30 points. 

'I kept picturing Catherine through the eight-hour rehearsals,' said Sean, who is getting better scores each week, afterwards.

A kiss after the dance: Sean smooched his fiancée Catherine Giudici after his dance 

Proud girlfriend: Sean said he kept picturing Catherine, seen in the audience, through his eight hour rehearsals 

Champion gymnast Aly Raisman picked 2012 - the year she went to the Olympics with the US team - as the inspiration for her contemporary dance with partner, Mark Ballas. 

'[It] was the hardest thing I ever did in my life,' she said of her preparation for the Olympics.

She chose the song Titanium by David Guetta to dance to - because it remained her of the fierce competition she overcame to win her spot on the team.

The 18-year-old donned a flowing red dress while Mark went shirtless for the emotional and intensely physical routine - that saw the crowd scream with appreciation as she did a series of cartwheels and backflips as some of her Olympic teammates watched on, whom she embraced at the end of the judging.

Acrobatic: Gymnast Aly Raisman and partner Mark Ballas ended up top of the leaderboard after their scintillating routine

Perfectly balanced: Aly sported crimson to perform to Titanium by David Guetta

Heavy metal! Bruno told Aly to 'forget about titanium, you're going for gold'

'I think that's a dance worthy of an Olympic champion', said Len Goodman before joking that he would show her how to do a higher flip.

Bruno added: 'Forget about Titanium, you're going for gold, darling!'

And Carrie Ann said: 'I'm very proud of you. Perfection and movement is all you know. I was mesmerized by you. It was just profound.'

'I wanted to show everyone how hard she's worked and put it into a dance,' Mark explained afterwards.

And the judges agreed - Carrie Ann, Len and Bruno all scored them nine points, for a total of 27 points out of 30, the highest score of the competition so far.

Sweet revenge: D.L. Hughley and partner Cheryl Burke put a huge amount of effort into getting their scores marked up

Comedy routine: The fox trot was a huge hit with the audience, in part due to the comic's sense of humour

Shake it to the limit: D.L. ensures he looked his harshest critics in the eye during his routine 

Funnyman D.L. Hughley, who has been blasted by the judges for his performances, said the best year of his life was when he was a high school student growing up in the tough Compton section of Los Angeles. 

'Everything was sweeter and I was innocent. It was before life became real to me,' he said. 

'Nothing says Compton like the foxtrot,' he joked, as he said he and partner Cheryl Burke would dance to Etta James' I Just Want to Make Love to You.

'I want to show this world that I can be a stuffy old English person, too,' he said, most likely in a dig against his biggest critic at the judges' table, Len Goodman.

That's an A for effort: Carrie Ann was delighted with the dance

Highest marks of the season: D.L. was overcome with joy at receiving three sevens from the judges

Dropping to his knees: D.L. fell to the floor and accidentally trod on Brooke Burke-Charvet's dress amid his celebrations 

The witty and entertaining routine started with D.L burying his face in a comic book, titled Revenge of DL, blissfully unaware of the beautiful woman dancing next to him. 

He then shed his nervous persona and took control of the dance - before running to the judges and shaking his hips at Carrie Ann, then slapping his backside and blowing a kiss.

Bruno said: 'I can see you savour the flavour of sweet revenge. Your performance was on another level.'

'Hallelujah!' proclaimed Carrie Ann. 'That's a real breakthrough.'

Carrie Ann gave them seven, as did Len and Bruno, for a total of 21 points - their highest of the competition so far. 

'That's higher than my SAT scores,' he joked, before accidentally trampling on co-host Brooke Burke Charvet's dress.

Top of the box: Victor Ortiz begun his dance in the middle of a boxing ring 

We will rock you: The Boxer performed his paso doble to the Queen song because that's the tune he walked into the ring to when he won the WBC welterweight championship in 2011.

Too much passion? Bruno told Victor he missed his footwork during the dance 

Boxer Victor Ortiz did the paso doble to the sounds of Queen's We Will Rock You because that's the song he walked into the ring to when he won the WBC welterweight championship in 2011.

'I went in against a guy who was undefeated. [People said] I had no chance,' he recalled.

He said he was struggling to put food on the table before his landmark win. 

'Just being in that precise moment was beautiful. 2011 was a very emotional moment for me,' he said. 

And he joked that he could see his former opponent Andre Berto in the ring when he heard the song again - and said mastering the dance was a whole other fight.

It was like a fight! Victor and partner Lindsay Arnold were nervous at hearing the judge's verdicts

The judges will see one celebrity couple go home on Tuesday night's show

He donned boxing gloves and showed off some of his moves as the dance routine began - then ripped off his cape to show off his muscles and tattooed back before joining partner Lindsay Arnold on the dance floor. 

Bruno said: 'You definitely punched the living daylights out of the pasodoble but you're supposed to dance it, not destroy it! You missed your footwork.'

Len added: 'We knock you down and you come back stronger. That is great. It needed a bit more refinement. But you gave your all.'

Afterwards Victor said: 'It was like a fight all over again.'

Carrie Ann gave them six, Len gave them six, and Bruno also gave them six, leaving them with a total of 18 points out of 30.

The results will be revealed on Tuesday night's results show when one couple will be sent home.