‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34 Episode 9 Live Recap: Dances, Scores and an Elimination

The hit ABC show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week with plenty of fun, nostalgic moments—but who will be eliminated right before the semifinals?

Allie Hayes | 8 Hours Ago

DEREK HOUGH, TOM BERGERON, BRUNO TONIOLI, ALFONSO RIBEIRO / Disney/Eric McCandless

Happy Tuesday, friends! We’re back to recap all things Dancing With the Stars for you, as always!

This week, the seven remaining stars and their pros had every reason to celebrate, as the hit ABC show rang in its 20th year on the air. With plenty of promised guest cameos, throwback nods and surprises in store for viewers at home, this week was another banger for the cast as the field continued to narrow heading into next week’s semifinals.

In case you missed last week’s show

Last Tuesday, the dancing duos highlighted everyone’s favorite singing sensations during “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.” Each routine showcased a different genre, and the competition really kicked things into high gear with a few couples separating themselves from the pack as the ones to watch.

At the top of the leaderboard were Alix Earle and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy with a Paso Doble set to “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, as well as Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas, who also danced a Paso Doble, but theirs was set to “No More Tears” by Ozzy Osbourne. Both pairs were tied at the top, scoring an impressive 39/40. However, during the Bonus Round, Leavitt took the lead over Earle with a final score of 79 compared to Earle’s 77.

On the other end of the leaderboard were Andy Richter and his partner Emma Slater, who earned a 30/40 for their Contemporary routine choreographed to “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys. Also, Danielle Fishel and her partner Pasha Pashkov found themselves toward the bottom with a score of 34/40 for their own Contemporary routine set to Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” After the Bonus Round, Richter’s final score for the evening was a 68, while Fishel’s was a 74.

You can check out our full recap of last week’s episode here!

Last week’s elimination

After the judges’ final scores were tallied and combined with the Bonus Round scores and millions of votes from passionate viewers, Fishel and Pashkov were sent home.

During their final interview, Fishel told the hosts, “Every single moment, including this one, has been joyous.” Meanwhile, Pashkov declared he had a “friend for life” in the actress.

This week’s theme

As mentioned above, this week the show is celebrating a massive milestone: its 20th anniversary! According to an Instagram post shared ahead of tonight’s episode, the pairs will be tasked with performing “routines inspired by iconic freestyle performances from past seasons.”

And—to add even more throwback fuel to this metaphorical nostalgia fire—the show’s former host for 28 of its 34 seasons, Tom Bergeron, will be making his return to act as a guest judge on the panel.

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten

After an energetic and emotional opening montage and dance number, throwing it back to the old days and celebrating former pros, Hendrix and Bersten took to the floor to dance a spicy Salsa routine set to “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock. As seen in the preroll footage, the choreography was inspired by Mario Lopez’s routine on the show, and Hendrix promised to leave everything on the floor, even attempting some impressive lifts despite her previous rib injury.

Guest judge Tom Bergeron jumped up and down in excitement before giving the routine a 9. Bruno Tonioli called Hendrix “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” earning them a 9. Carrie Ann Inaba applauded the pair’s resilience, giving them a 9. Derek Hough wrapped up judging, excited by Bersten’s intense choreography for a score of 9, resulting in a total score of 36/40.

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson

Next up, Irwin danced a very special Foxtrot routine set to “Footprints in the Sand” by Leona Lewis. The number was a direct reference to his sister, Bindi Irwin, who danced to the same song during her stint on the show, dedicating her routine to their father. For a little added pressure, during the preroll footage, Prince William (yes, Prince William) called in to chat with Irwin in the middle of his rehearsal, as the conservationist was meant to visit with the royal this week, but was unable to make it since he’s still on the show.

Tonioli said he “couldn’t take his eyes off” Irwin, earning their routine a 10. Inaba called the dance “powerful and profound,” also giving the pair a 10. Hough said he felt “honored” to be included in the Irwin story, awarding the routine another 10. Bergeron finished up judging by saying that Irwin had “grown into a star,” earning them yet another 10, resulting in a perfect score of 40/40.

Andy Richter and Emma Slate

Richter—who the judges have dubbed the “people’s champion”—tackled a fun Quickstep choreographed to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Robbie Williams for his routine, taking inspiration from Jordan Fisher’s previous routine on the show. In the preroll footage, the comedian struggled at first with the fast pace of the number, but brought all of the enthusiasm and passion needed to get the crowd cheering once he hit the ballroom floor in his top hat and tails.

Inaba said there was “no greater honor or privilege” than watching Richter grow every week, giving the routine an 8. Hough seconded Inaba, applauding the fancy footwork for a 7. Bergeron also loved the number, giving them another solid 7. Tonioli joked that the routine was “quick and had plenty of steps,” giving the pair another 7 for a total score of 29/40.

Dylan Efron and Danielle Karagach

Efron took on an intense Argentine Tango set to “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers, inspired by Milo Manheim’s previous performance on the show. Efron noted that he was taking all the judges’ notes to heart, but he expressed concern about this particular routine because Manheim is an “actor” while he is not, and the facial expressions played a huge role in the number.

Hough called the dance Efron’s “breakthrough moment by a long shot,” earning the duo a 10. Bergeron joked that it looked like “two pros were dancing,” giving the number a 10. Tonioli said Efron was “not dancing, but starring,” for a score of 10. Inaba applauded Efron’s journey, saying it was the “best” Argentine Tango and giving them a 10 for a perfect score of 40/40.

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa

Chiles was excited to tackle a high-intensity Cha Cha set to “Get Up” by Ciara and Chamillonaire. The energetic routine was inspired by Wayne Brady’s number on the show, and Chiles expressed hopes during the preroll footage that the choreography would be enough to get them higher scores than the previous week, which earned her two 9s and two 10s.

Bergeron joked that he needed more A/C because it “got really hot in here” for a 9. Tonioli seconded the love of their mutual heat for another 9. Inaba gave Chiles a quick note about her shoulder movements, but celebrated her progress for a third 9. Hough loved the “texture” in Chiles’s body during the dance, earning them a 10 for a total score of 37/40.

Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy

After a strong showing last week, Earle took to the ballroom floor to dance a classic Foxtrot choreographed to “Singin’ in the Rain” by Matthew Morrison. The routine was inspired by Nev Schulman’s number on the show. During the preroll footage, Earle admitted that, in the past, she’d been more conscious of her own movement, but was dedicated to putting on a “timeless” performance this week that longtime fans of the show would love.

Tonioli declared that he went to “ballroom heaven,” earning the duo a score of 10. Inaba agreed with Tonioli, but added that Earle was finally “letting go,” earning them another 10. Hough called the dance “clean, classic...and flawless” for another 10. Bergeron said the routine was a “chemistry class,” giving them yet another 10 for a perfect score of 40/40.

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas

Last up for the first round of the evening was Leavitt, who was tasked with tackling an intricate Argentine Tango set to “Cell Block Tango” from the beloved musical Chicago. The dance was inspired by Gabby Windey’s performance on the show, and Leavitt expressed excitement to show a different side of herself with the number. Leavitt had also won “immunity” the previous week, meaning she would not have to dance in the relay bonus round.

Inaba was on her feet after the routine, saying Leavitt “nailed it” for a perfect 10. Hough seconded Inaba’s applause, saying that the choreography “had it all,” giving them another 10. Bergeron loved the routine, reminding viewers at home to still vote for the pair, giving them another 10. Tonioli said Leavitt was “driven by passion” and called her the “best dancer” for yet another 10 and a perfect score of 40/40.

Bonus Round

For the Bonus Round, the contestants were partnered with previous mirrorball trophy winners and competed against each other in pairs. First up, Hendrix was paired with Apolo Anton Ohno, while Chiles was paired with Rashad Jennings. Both duos competed with Quicksteps set to “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Chiles won, earning 2 bonus points for a final score of 39/40.

Next up were Efron and Richter, who were partnered with Rumer Willis and Kaitlyn Bristowe, respectively. They were tasked with dancing sensual relay routines set to “Earned It.” Efron won, earning 2 bonus points for a final score of 42/40.

For the final round, Irwin was paired with Xochitl Gomez, while Earle partnered with Joey Graziadei. The dancing duos took to the ballroom floor to compete with high-energy Jive routines set to “Dance With Me Tonight.” Irwin won, earning 2 bonus points for a final score of 42/40.

Final scores:

Hendrix and Bersten: 36/40
Irwin and Carson: 42/40
Richter and Slate: 29/40
Efron and Karagach: 42/40
Chiles and Sosa: 39/40
Earle and Chmerkovskiy: 40/40
Leavitt and Ballas: 42/40 (+2 from the previous week with immunity)

Who was eliminated?

After the judges’ scores were combined with the Bonus Round points and millions of votes from viewers, Richter and Slate were sent home.

During their final interview, Richter celebrated his time with Slate and shared his love with the fans at home as the remaining duos embraced him and his partner.

Next week, the theme is “Prince Night,” and it’s also officially the semifinals! The episode will air on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll be back here to recap everything live for you! You can watch new episodes of DWTS Season 34 every Tuesday night on ABC and Disney+. New episodes stream on Hulu the next day.

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Published 8 Hours Ago|Modified Nov 11, 2025

ALLIE HAYES

Allie Hayes is an experienced pop culture staff writer and editor specializing in movies, TV and celebrity news. Before joining the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit team as a Breaking/Trending News Editor, she worked at several outlets including BuzzFeed, The Daily Dot, and Newsweek. When she’s not writing for work (or writing for fun), you’ll find her curled up on the couch reading yet another romance novel, obsessively watching pro wrestling with her friends, or taking blurry photos of her two adorable cats.