The following story contains spoilers for Tuesday’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars.”
“Dancing With the Stars” celebrated iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show performances with special guest appearances from NFL stars and guest judge Joe Buck on the show’s first-ever Super Bowl night.
Joe Buck, host of ABC’s Monday Night Football, served as the first guest judge of the season. He was also joined by a few NFL stars, who previously appeared on the dance competition series, including Emmitt Smith (Season 3 winner), Donald Driver (Season 14 winner), DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola.
Tonight’s dances included hits from Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Usher and more, but one couple did have to go home. In a shocking elimination, Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson received the lowest amount of combined votes and scores. Though the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” star consistently earned the lowest scores of the competition, he and his pregnant dance partner had a massive fanbase online.
The judges Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough and Carrie Ann Inaba noted several times during the night that this cast was exceptionally competitive for Season 35.
Maura Higgins opened up the show with a powerful tango to Rihanna’s hit “Only Girl (In the World)” with her partner Mark Ballas. In her package ahead of her dance, the “Love Island” alum revealed that she had a neck injury that had persisted for the past few weeks. However her dance, which featured many sharp head movements, went off without a hitch. Tonioli said the reality star “makes it look easy.” Inaba and Hough wanted more attack from the star as she moves onto the Latin dance styles.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas in “Dancing With the Stars.” (Disney)
On the heels of the inaugural Banana Bowl, Jackson Olson prepared for his salsa to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars. He and his partner Emma Slater squeezed in rehearsal in between travel for the baseball playoff game. Even though he lost his game, Inaba said he brought the energy for his salsa. Hough said it was his best dance of the competition so far.
Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn channeled “champion energy” for her samba to “Mi Gente” by J Balvin and Willy William. Her fiery routine with Pasha Pashkov caught the judges attention, specifically how she weaved a flashy scarf section with traditional samba rolls. Inaba even used Gen Z slang to praise her routine, saying that “she ate.”
“It was hot,” Monday Night Football commentator Buck said. “Am I allowed to say that?”
Sharna Burgess and Tyler Cameron in “Dancing With the Stars.” (Disney)
“Bachelorette” alum Tyler Cameron wowed with his “Dirty Dancing” inspired jazz routine with his partner Sharna Burgess. His routine to “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by the Black Eyed Peas incorporated the iconic lift from the ’80s movie as well as energetic group sections with the “DWTS” troupe. Hough said he was “so impressed” with the reality star’s improvement during the competition. Inaba said she even enjoyed the lifts, praising the star for lifting and setting down his partner correctly. The college football player told Julianne Hough it was his dream to get commentated on by Buck – even if it was in the ballroom.
Connor Wood stumbled through his samba to “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira feat. Wycleaf Jean. The comedian said that learning the routine felt “impossible” but he wants to stay in the competition. He opened the routine by tearing off his regular pants to reveal his samba fringe pants. Buck said that America loves you because you are fun and relatable. Inaba said it was a lot of content but not a lot of content and technique, and Hough said that the energy was a 10 but the timing and weight transfer needed significant work.
Julia Stiles paid homage to her “Save the Last Dance” choreography with her jazz / hip-hop routine to “Jenny from the Block [Track Masters Remix]” by Jennifer Lopez. Her partner Ezra Sosa incorporated a solo moment for his partner to show off her hip-hop and ballet skills from the movie and even a cameo from her co-star Sean Patrick Thomas. Tonioli said it was her best dance so far. Hough even brought the actress in for a hug to congratulate her on the routine.
“I’d been wanting to do that for 25 years,” Stiles said before receiving her scores.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” star Guillermo Rodriguez ended his time on the competition with a bang to Bad Bunny’s “Tití Me Preguntó.” His partner Witney Carson choreographed an energized salsa for Rodriguez. In his package, the comedian said he wanted to prove Inaba wrong that his joy was gone. She said he did just that with his final salsa routine.
Witney Carson and Guillermo Rodriguez in “Dancing With the Stars.” (Disney)
Tatyana Ali embraced the salsa music she grew up listening to with her routine to “squabble up” by Kendrick Lamar, though the routine felt a little too laid-back for the high-energy style, according to the judges. Inaba thanked the “Fresh Prince” star for taking her critique, but Hough called for more energy and cleaner finishes. Buck, however, called it his favorite dance of the night.
Jenna Dewan set the ballroom on fire with her paso doble to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” “The Rookie” star asked for OG Val Chmerkovskiy to prep for their powerhouse routine. Inaba called the dance the first “touchdown” of the night, while Buck said he could not distinguish between the pro and the star when watching the duo dance.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy in “Dancing With the Stars.” (Disney)
Harry Shum Jr. danced a samba to Usher’s “Yeah!” The “Glee” star had to push himself out of his hip-hop habit to embrace the more fluid movements of the Latin ballroom style. The routine meshed the two styles together, which the judges did not quite like. They wanted more content and technique from the star.
Inaba and pro Jenna Johnson had a tense moment when the judge brought out the rule book to read the definition of a lift after identifying one in their routine.
Daniella Karagach wanted to turn Ezra Frech’s salsa to Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” into a party to close out the night. The pair brought that celebratory energy to the floor, which Inaba called a master class in interpreting movement, while Buck praised the “bright light” that shines through Frech.
Ezra Frech in “Dancing With the Stars.” (Disney)
“The way you balance your partner work, how to hit all the right accents, the right hip action, and the smooth rotations. I don’t honestly, honey. I don’t know how you do it,” Tonioli said, praising the Paralympian.
LEADERBOARD: Week 5
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy: 36
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach: 36
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: 34
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: 33
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: 33
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson: 33
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater: 31
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess: 30
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: 29
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold: 25
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson: 22
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