Emotions ran high in the ballroom Tuesday night as the 10 remaining couples on “Dancing with the Stars” performed tributes to loved ones and former colleagues, ending with a surprise announcement that spared everyone from elimination.
Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough had hinted throughout the broadcast that a couple would face departure. Instead, Ribeiro revealed at the end of the broadcast that no contestants were being sent home, Page Six reported. Hough explained that the judges and producers opted not to cut anyone following such a sentimental evening, adding that all votes and judges’ scores will roll over into next week’s competition. Ribeiro cautioned the ballroom that the reprieve comes with a price: two couples will be eliminated during “Horror Movie Night.”
Nostalgic tributes to late co-stars
The broadcast featured several high-profile tributes to departed actors, including a performance by actress Julia Stiles honoring her “10 Things I Hate About You” co-star Heath Ledger, who died in 2008 at age 28. Stiles and pro partner Ezra Sosa delivered a routine set to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” paying homage to Ledger’s famous scene from the 1999 romantic comedy. After concluding the dance by laying a rose before an image of Ledger, Stiles was joined on the floor by former castmates Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan and Susan May Pratt, NBC News reported. The routine earned a score of 36 out of 40.
In another tribute, actress Tatyana Ali honored her late “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” co-star James Avery, who portrayed Philip Banks and died from surgical complications in 2013. Ali recorded her own vocals for Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am” and danced a Viennese waltz alongside partner Jan Ravnik. Ribeiro, her former sitcom sibling, stepped onto the ballroom floor to close out the routine with Ali in front of a portrait of Avery. Ali received a season-high 32 out of 40 from the panel, according to Deadline.
Leaderboard highlights and backstage adjustments
The highest mark of the evening belonged to Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn and partner Pasha Pashkov, who picked up a 38 out of 40 for a contemporary piece dedicated to Glenn’s sister Brooke, Page Six reported. Paralympian Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach earned a 37 out of 40, picking up the season’s first perfect score of 10 from guest judge and former show professional Kym Johnson-Herjavec.
The broadcast also saw adjustments behind the scenes. Jenna Dewan performed with stand-in partner Alan Bersten after her regular partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, received a one-week suspension over online comments referencing the 2022 Oscars altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock in response to judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s critiques, Page Six reported. Dewan and Bersten secured a 37 out of 40 for a routine dedicated to Dewan’s mother.
Personal milestones were also celebrated during the broadcast. Former “Bachelorette” contestant Tyler Cameron announced during his routine dedicated to mothers that he and fiancée Tate Madden are expecting a baby girl, Deadline reported. Meanwhile, television personality Maura Higgins earned 35 points for a routine dedicated to Ireland, actor Harry Shum Jr. collected 36 points honoring his wife, and online personality Connor Wood and baseball player Jackson Olson each scored 32 points with routines dedicated to their parents.
The full cast moves forward to next week’s broadcast, when the carried-over tallies and audience voting will determine which two celebrities exit the ballroom.
