“Dancing With the Stars” paid homage to TikTok Tuesday night as they cha cha-ed and tangoed to viral hits from Katseye, Sabrina Carpenter and more.
The ABC competition show has gained a new audience of dedicated fans from its reach on TikTok. Season 31 winner and the second-most followed TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio returned to the ballroom to show off her skills and celebrate the app that changed her life. She performed the viral whisk challenge with her former partner Mark Ballas and opened the show with Charli XCX’s viral “Apple” dance.
Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough revealed that last week shattered the all-time voting record for “Dancing With the Stars.” The stars, several of which are TikTok creators in their own rite, brought their dancing centerstage, but one of the 12 couples had to go home. Lauren Jauregui and her partner Brandon Armstrong received the least amount of votes and judges scores and were sent home — an outcome that shocked the ballroom.
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik kicked off TikTok night with a tribute to the reality star’s own viral TikTok to “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” in which she danced to the song just hours after she gave birth. The “Mormon Wives” star also referenced the viral “Mommy? Mamacita” sound from “Love Island USA” Season 7 in the beginning of the cha cha. The judges loved the concept but were not too impressed by her technique, though.
Fifth Harmony’s Jauregui danced to her own song from “Work From Home” for TikTok night. The standard cha cha also featured viral choreography from Sean Bankhead, who was in the audience. Fellow Fifth Harmony bandmates also made an appearance at the end of her performance. The judges wanted the singer to have more punch in her moves especially in the Latin dance style, but had hopes that Jauregui would make it far in the competition.
Sabrina Carpenter sent Danielle Fishel a special message of encouragement, saying she can’t wait to try and fail to recreate her dance, before the couple danced to her song “Manchild.” The “Boy Meets World” star said she considers Carpenter like a daughter to her, so it was a thrill to compete a foxtrot to her music. With her hamstring back in tact, Bruno Tonioli commended the actress for not letting the TikTok integration take away from the ballroom dancing.
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles broke into tears after dancing a tango to Doechii’s “Anxiety.” The gymnast revealed that she has struggled with anxiety throughout her career. “Being able to express it in a dance, I finally feel relieved,” she said. “I feel like you know that was something I was able just to let go.” The judges praised the gymnast for her ability to be smooth yet fierce. Derek Hough said Chiles “turned anxiety into artistry” on the ballroom floor. The Olympian tied for the highest score of the night.
Dylan Efron wowed the judges with his fiery foxtrot to Justin Bieber’s “YUKON.” He and his partner Daniella Karagach wanted to prove to Derek Hough that the reality star is a leading man. Carrie Ann Inaba admitted that the reality star confused her in how to score because for a beginner his technique is impeccable. Hough and Tonioli echoed the sentiments saying that Efron delivered a foxtrot by the book.
Elaine Hendrix paid homage to her sassy “Parent Trap” character Meredith Blake in her fiery tango to KATSEYE’s “Gnarly.” The judges called the actress a real contender after her routine, but Hough wanted her to carry a wider frame. The 54-year-old actress said that she is proud of herself for moving in the way she is at her age, to which her best friend and biggest fan Lisa Ann Walter cheered on her feet from the audience.
Top contender Whitney Leavitt made it to the top of the leaderboard for the third week in a row with her samba to “Shake Ya Ass (Radio Edit)” by Mystikal. The “Mormon Wives” star admitted that the style had been particularly challenging for her, but Tonioli said she nailed the signature samba bounce. Hough called it “mesmerizing,” while Inaba liked that the reality star reigned in her wild side for the performance.
Pentatonix star Scott Hoying performed what the judges called his best dance of the season to “like JENNIE.” The a capella singer wanted to bring the love from his viral wedding dance for his husband to the ballroom. The jazz routine showcased his musicality, and his pro Riley Arnold’s versatility in choreography, which Tonioli called “delicious.” Hoying earned his highest scores of the season for the routine.
Hilaria Baldwin performed a samba to the viral sound “Shake It To The Max (FLY) [Remix]” with her partner Gleb Savchenko. Hough told the influencer and reality star that she is in a league of her own technically speaking, saying her samba rolls were the best he’s ever seen on the show. “Len would’ve loved that samba,” Inaba added, noting Baldwin is a fantastic dancer but needed to work on her musicality. Her husband Alec Baldwin and friend Kris Jenner appeared in the audience.
Andy Richter, who has consistently scored in the bottom of the competition, has won over the DWTS audience with his charm and joy. The comedian and his partner Emma Slater competed a foxtrot to “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Hozier. The viral Hozier’s yell trend inspired the uplifting dance that brought his partner and even Julianne Hough to tears. “My friend you are the heart,” Derek Hough said of his performance. The judges noted his dancing needed improvement, but his joy was evident. Richter said he’s not ready to go home.
Consistent frontrunner Robert Irwin did it again with his salsa to “Million Dollar Baby.” Notoriously one of the hardest styles of dance on the show, Hough noted that the wildlife conservationist was a little too rigid in his movement but commended him for his strength of movement. Inaba said seeing a shirtless young Irwin made her feel like a grandmother. Irwin later joked in the skybox that his partner Whitney Carson has been a pro at “extracting the rizz” from the zookeeper.
TikTok star Alix Earle closed out the night with her best dance of the season. She performed a quickstep to “Pop Muzik,” a song that was popularized by Molly Long’s competitive dance team this spring. She started off the routine with a reference to her “Get Ready With Me” videos before hopping into the quickstep. With her notes from partner Val Chmerkovskiy and Long, Inaba said the influencer pulled off her best dance yet.
LEADERBOARD: Week 3
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 24
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: 24
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 23
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 23
- Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold: 22
- Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko: 22
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 22
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 21
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov: 21
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik: 19
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater: 18
- Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong: 18
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
