‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Week 5 Live Recap: Dances, Scores and Elimination

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Before Season 35 began this autumn, Dancing With the Stars unveiled all of its planned theme nights—except for this week’s. After some teasing, the program officially announced the secret theme was “Super Bowl Night,” with all the stars *tackling* tunes by artists who’ve made memorable moments at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The episode will also feature Season 35’s first guest judge, as ESPN announcer Joe Buck joins the panel alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.

Don’t have time to see which stars make it to the proverbial endzone for a victory dance? Worry not, teammates! We’ve got you covered with our full live recap so you don’t miss any 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?

Last week was the first-ever “Mariah Carey Night” on DWTS, and the judges were *obsessed*—pun intended.

At the top of the leaderboard were reality TV sensation Maura Higgins and her pro partner Mark Ballas, with their dreamy waltz to the icon’s ballad “If It’s Over.” The judges praised the dynamic routine, and Inaba called it “artistry in motion.” She also gave them the first 9 of the season, with Hough and Tonioli giving two 8s for a total of 25 out of 30. There was also a three-way tie for second, with Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson and Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy all close behind with scores of 24 out of 30.

Unfortunately, comedian Guillermo Rodriguez and his pro partner, Witney Carson, landed at the bottom of the leaderboard again, scoring 13 out of 30 for their playful samba to “Obsessed.” Overall, the judges were mixed on the dance number, with Inaba concerned that Rodriguez was “dimming his light” for the routine.

However, after all the stars took their turn on the dance floor, Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were the duo sent home in Week 4. This left many fans surprised, as the duo earned a 21 out of 30 for their energetic jazz routine to “Emotions,” further underscoring the importance of fans’ votes each week.

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

What is the theme this week on DWTS?

As noted above, this week is “Super Bowl Night,” where the pros choreographed routines to songs by former halftime performers. With that in mind, fans could expect high-energy dance numbers set to Shakira, Nelly, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and more. Also, with Buck as the first guest judge, duos could score up to 40 points instead of the usual 30.

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas

Higgins and Ballas started the show, coming hot off of their victory from the previous week. For the NFL-inspired routine, the duo danced a tango to “Only Girl (in the World)” by Rihanna. In behind-the-scenes footage, the model revealed she’d been struggling with a neck injury, but planned to fight through it.

Buck kicked off judging by confirming he didn’t know much about ballroom, but joked that Higgins made him “proud to be Irish” and gave them a 9. Tonioli loved the energy of the “stylish” routine, but gave them an 8. Inaba gave Higgins constructive criticism, noting that some moves were “cut short,” giving them a second 8. Hough concurred, commenting on a moment when she “broke the line” of her posture, giving them a third 8. Total score: 33/40

Jackson Olson and Emma Slater

Olson and Slater were up next, dancing a sultry salsa to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars. In behind-the-scenes footage, Olson was concerned about their scores from the previous week, noting that this week was also the “biggest” game of the year for his team, the Savannah Bananas, at the Bananas Bowl.

Tonioli called the dance “footloose and fancy-free,” applauding Olson’s improvement and giving them a 7. Inaba said that Olson was “kicking a--,“ giving them an 8. Hough said it was Olson’s “best dance,” giving them another 8. Buck shared his love of the Savannah Bananas with Olson, giving them a third 8. Total score: 31/40

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov

Dancing a samba choreographed to “Mi Gente” by J Balvin and Willy William, Glenn and Pashkov were next to hit the hardwood floor. The pair talked about the criticism from last week during practice, celebrating their success and focusing on improving to get back to the top of the leaderboard.

Inaba said that Glenn “ate that samba,” giving them an 8. Hough called the routine “fierce” and loved Glenn’s impressive split, giving them their first 9 of the season. Buck agreed, saying the dance was “hot” and “amazing” and giving them a 9. Tonioli loved the “variety of interpretation” and gave them an 8. Total score: 34/40

Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess

Cameron and Burgess danced a jazz routine to “Dirty Bit” by Black Eyed Peas. In behind-the-scenes footage, the Bachelor Nation alum opened up about his past playing football and hoped to channel that same passion and energy into the choreography.

Hough “loved” the dance and applauded their chemistry, giving them a 7. Buck was impressed by Cameron’s mobility and gave them an 8. Tonioli “appreciated” how much work Cameron put into improving his lines and gave them a second 7. Inaba especially loved the lifts in the choreography and gave them a second 8. Total score: 30/40

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