‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Week 3 Live Recap: Dances, Scores and Elimination

Another Tuesday, another new episode of Dancing With the Stars to combat those midweek blues!

After a record-breaking two-night premiere earlier this month saw the cast of stars shrink from 16 to 14, everyone’s favorite dance competition returned last week to say goodbye to another contestant. This week will be no different, as judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli return to the panel to watch as the stars trade their dancing shoes for boat shoes.

Don’t have time to catch tonight’s ballroom escapades? No worries, friends and dancing fiends! We’ve got you covered with our full live recap so you don’t miss a minute of the action—but first, let’s get you all caught up on what you might’ve missed last week.

Who was eliminated last week on DWTS?

After the aforementioned two-night premiere—which saw Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman, as well as Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, go home—the remaining 14 contestants tackled “Viral Hits Night.” The theme centered on songs and dance moves that have been popular on our TikTok “For You” feeds this year, including hits like “No Broke Boys” by Disco Lines and Tinashe, “Girls” by The Kid LAROI, “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams and more.

The episode was a redemption moment for several stars, with Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson, Tatyana Ali and Guillermo Rodriguez all scoring higher than the previous week. The top of the leaderboard was also a three-way tie, with Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech and Amber Glenn all scoring 21 out of 30.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez—despite his higher score—and Giada De Laurentiis were tied at the bottom of the leaderboard with 12 out of 30. After all the stars took their turn on the ballroom floor, the judges’ scores were combined with audience votes, and De Laurentiis was sent home on “Viral Hits Night.”

To read our full recap of last week’s episode, click here.

What is the theme this week on DWTS?

As we teased above, this week’s theme is “Yacht Rock Night.” Defined by Merriam-Webster (yes, really) as “a style of polished rock music that emerged primarily from Southern California studios in the late 1970s and early 1980s” that is “characterized by sophisticated jazz-influenced harmonies, high production quality, and a mellow sound,” viewers can expect to hear tunes from artists like Toto, Luther Vandross and Fleetwood Mac.

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov

The Olympic figure skater opened the show after tying for the top spot on the leaderboard last week. Alongside Pashkov, the two tackled a fun foxtrot set to Toto’s “Hold the Line.” During practice, the two experienced an unfortunate incident when Glenn accidentally elbowed her dance partner in the face; however, they still hit the ballroom floor, where Pashkov confirmed he’d recovered.

Hough applauded Glenn, joking that she turned the hardwood into her “own personal ice rink,” and gave them an 8. Tonioli added that the dance was like a “fine glass of champagne” before giving them another 8. Inaba also loved the choreography, highlighting Glenn’s growth since Week 1 before giving them a third 8. Total score: 24/30

Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa

Next up, Stiles and Sosa danced a salsa to “I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall and John Oates. In behind-the-scenes footage, Stiles opened up about their previous performance, saying that she was “disappointed” in herself for the mistakes she made. Still, the two returned to the dance floor ready to tackle their yacht rock anthem.

Tonioli declared that Stiles had “awoken the Spice Girl within,” giving them a 6. Inaba loved that the star gave herself “permission to let go,” giving them a 7. Hough agreed with his fellow judges, calling the routine a “breath of fresh air,” giving the duo a second 6. Total score: 19/30

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson

Rodriguez and Carson celebrated their improvement from the previous week, but the pro warned her partner that this week would be more difficult. The comedian gave it his all in practice before the two took to the floor with a foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes.

Inaba joked that—despite Rodriguez’s comments about “not dancing for the judges”—she was still impressed, giving them a 5. Hough said the comedian’s showmanship was a “10” before giving the dance a 5. Tonioli loved that Rodriguez attempted more difficult foxtrot moves for another 5. Total score: 15/30

Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik

Ali and Ravnik were the first of several couples to dance to Daryl Hall and John Oates, performing a fabulous quickstep to “Maneater.” During practice, the star said that she felt like “everything clicked into place” the previous week, and wanted to keep the good vibes going when they hit the hardwood again.

Hough said it was Ali’s “best dance” yet, giving the duo a 7. Tonioli cheekily joked that “when [Ali] is bad, she’s so good,” giving them a second 7. Inaba called the dance “polished” and felt it brought out the “best” in them, giving the routine another 7. Total score: 21/30

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson

Dancing a jive to “You Make My Dreams Come True”—another Daryl Hall and John Oates classic—Shum Jr. and Johnson followed Ali. In behind-the-scenes footage, the pair hit a few bumps during practice, but they worked hard and took to the ballroom with confidence.

Tonioli felt the “theatrical” routine was already ready for Broadway, giving them an 8. The routine brought Inaba to her feet, giving them another 8. Hough specifically applauded Johnson’s impressive choreography, giving them a third 8. Total score: 24/30

Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart

Hanson and Stewart danced a foxtrot choreographed to “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers. Hanson reminisced about the day he and his brothers performed the same tune in front of the band at their Grammy Hall of Fame induction, making the song choice a full-circle moment.

Inaba loved the “lyrical” quality of Hanson’s dancing, but wanted him to engage his core more, giving them a 6. Hough disagreed, stating it was Hanson’s “best dance” before also giving them a 6. Tonioli was in the middle, applauding his growth but looking for more determination, giving them a third 6. Total score: 18/30

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas

Looking back, Higgins admitted she got in her own head the week before but was ready to tackle Week 3 with Ballas’s help, thanks to all the love she’d received from fans on social media. The duo then danced a quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson.

Hough called the choreography a “quickstep masterclass,” giving them a 7. Tonioli said Higgins was pure “Old Hollywood,” comparing her to Ginger Rogers before giving the dance an 8. Inaba was just as passionate as her fellow judges, applauding the pair and giving them a second 7. Total score: 22/30

Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong

Miller and Armstrong were excited about their improvement the previous week, wanting to give it their all when they returned to the floor to dance a cha-cha choreographed to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross. The pro also sought to bring out Miller’s playful side, adding some groovier moves to give the routine a light-hearted disco vibe.

Tonioli called the dance “hot, hot, hot,” giving them a 6. Inaba joked that Miller “set fire to the yacht,” giving the routine a second 6. Hough agreed with his fellow judges, noting that the routine brought out “the Ciara [he] wanted to see” and giving them another 6. Total score: 18/30

Jackson Olson and Emma Slater

Olson and Slater hit the hardwood with a pasodoble set to “Easy Lover” by Phillip Bailey and Phil Collins. During practice, the Savannah Bananas star admitted he might have trouble with the more “serious” moves in the routine given his style, but he still planned to leave it all on the dance floor.

Inaba enjoyed Olson’s “intensity,” but felt his moves weren’t always “syncing up” with the music, giving them a 6. Hough felt similarly, adding that the star needed “more attack in general,” giving them another 6. Tonioli echoed his fellow judges, also giving them a 6. Total score: 18/30

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold

The comedian and pro tackled another foxtrot, this time dancing to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. While chatting in behind-the-scenes footage, Wood opened up to Arnold about how the song reminded him of his mother, whom he’d taken to see the band in concert. Overall, he hoped to channel some of that sweet emotion in the routine.

Hough loved Wood’s improvement but gave him a few notes on his posture for a 6. Tonioli called the duo “gorgeous” and gave them a 7. Inaba applauded the likable quality of Wood’s dancing before giving them a second 7. Total score: 20/30

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy

After tying for the top spot last week, the duo worried they might be losing the “magic” they had in their last two dances. With this in mind, they made “having fun” their top mission for their samba choreographed to “Africa” by Toto this week.

Tonioli called the routine a “sizzling tropical treat,” applauding Dewan’s drive and giving them a 7. Inaba pointed out a stumble the two experienced on the floor and asked that they slow down, giving them another 7. Hough appreciated the samba-based moves in the routine, but noted he couldn’t wait to see a slow dance from the duo, giving them a third 7. Total score: 21/30

Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess

The penultimate pair to take the dance floor was Cameron and Burgess, who danced a jive to “Still the One” by Orleans. The Bachelor Nation alum expressed concern about the routine’s speed due to his stature, but he aimed to be “light on his feet” for Burgess’s choreography.

Inaba noted that the pair was off time at the beginning of the dance, but they recovered, so she gave them a 5. Hough called it a “great jive” overall for a score of 6. Tonioli thought the number was “much, much better” than their routine from last week, giving them a 6. Total score: 17/30

Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach

Frech and Karagach closed the show with a foxtrot choreographed to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr., featuring Bill Withers. In the behind-the-scenes footage, they celebrated their high score from last week, but the pro noted that this week would be another challenge given the smooth style.

Hough called the choreography “impressive” and gave them a 7. Tonioli agreed, complimenting Frech’s “leading man quality” before giving them another 7. Inaba simply added that she felt the star made them “better judges” and “better people,” giving them a third 7. Total score: 21/30

Who was eliminated on DWTS this week?

After all the stars danced, the judges’ scores were added to the audience votes before the eliminated pair was revealed. Ultimately, Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart were the dancing duo sent home in Week 3.

When is the next episode of DWTS?

The next episode of DWTS airs on ABC Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll be back to recap everything live for you!

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