Dancing With the Stars: Eliminations, the Finale Favorite, and How Much the Winner Takes Home
Dancing With the Stars turned Dedication Night into the season’s most emotional showcase, as the top 10 couples honored loved ones — and brought them onto the ballroom floor for unforgettable, lump-in-throat moments.
DWTS went full tearjerker this week, and for once, nobody got the boot. Dedication Night brought out family, friends, and, yes, Mr. Feeny. Here’s where Season 34 stands after five episodes, who’s thriving, who’s barely hanging on, and what the show is clearly trying to make happen.
Where the season stands
Season 34 kicked off September 16, 2025, with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough back hosting. No eliminations in the premiere. Since then, four of the original 14 pairs have been sent home across Weeks 2–4, and we just wrapped Week 5 without an elimination.
Dedication Night: feelings, familiar faces, and a leaderboard shake-up
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough were joined by guest judge Kym Johnson (a two-time Mirrorball winner). Each of the ten remaining pairs dedicated their routines to someone close, and the honorees actually came out onto the ballroom floor with the contestants — a nice touch that doubled the emotional stakes.
Highlights: Danielle Fishel went full Boy Meets World and dedicated her jive to her longtime co-star Bill Daniels (aka Mr. Feeny), dancing to the show’s theme. Robert Irwin honored his mom, Terri Irwin. And Dylan Efron dedicated his routine to his little sister Olivia Efron, dancing to Rewrite the Stars from The Greatest Showman — yes, the one performed in the film by his brother Zac Efron and Zendaya. Neat family synergy, and it worked: Dylan and pro Daniella Karagach topped the night with 36/40.
No eliminations this week, but here’s the full scoreboard after Dedication Night:
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach — dedicated to his little sister Olivia — 36/40
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy — dedicated to her younger sister Izabel — 35/40
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson — dedicated to his mother Terri Irwin — 35/40
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas — dedicated to her husband Connor — 33/40
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa — dedicated to her father Timothy — 32/40
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten — dedicated to her best friend/co-star Lisa Ann Walter (Chessy) — 30/40
- Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold — dedicated to his husband Mark — 30/40
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov — dedicated to co-star Bill Daniels (Mr. Feeny) — 29/40
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik — dedicated to her mother Maria — 29/40
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater — dedicated to his daughter Cornelia — 24/40
Who went home so far (and why it got messy)
Week 2 was One-Hit Wonders Night and brought a surprise double elimination after what Alfonso Ribeiro called record voting. Two pairs left: a former NBA star with pro Britt Stewart, and actor Corey Feldman with pro Jenna Johnson. Fun twist of fate there: Johnson actually won last season with Joey Graziadei, but that momentum didn’t carry to Feldman.
Week 3 was TikTok Night. Performances were generally strong, but Fifth Harmony alum Lauren Jauregui and pro Brandon Armstrong were cut over Andy Richter and Elaine Hendrix. Carrie Ann praised Lauren’s movement and wanted more energy from her; Lauren was openly frustrated afterward, and Andy admitted he was stunned to be saved two weeks in a row despite low scores.
Week 4 was Disney Night. Hilaria Baldwin and pro Gleb Savchenko danced a Star Wars-flavored quickstep that landed them mid-range scores but not enough viewer love. They scored 23/30 and were eliminated. Afterward, Hilaria blamed TikTok group-voting tactics she called mean girls behavior, saying she’s new to the platform and believes some viewers voted for everyone but her to bury her fan base. She also said she was happy friends stayed but wished she’d danced longer.
The show’s favorites vs the people’s favorites
Fan energy is all over Andy Richter right now. He’s the oldest contestant this season, partnered with Emma Slater, often at the bottom of the scoreboard, yet regularly saved by voting and pulling in big fan numbers. If you know him best as Conan O’Brien’s right-hand guy, his DWTS run has that same earnest, try-hard charm that viewers latch onto.
Behind the scenes, a tabloid report says producers are all-in on Robert Irwin and Witney Carson this season, leaning into the nostalgia and heartstring factor given Robert’s parallels with his late father, Steve Irwin. He’s been winning over new fans by showing a different side of himself on the floor, so that push isn’t exactly subtle.
There’s also buzz around Whitney Leavitt with Mark Ballas. She came in with a sizable audience, and her routines are connecting. Reddit chatter — rounded up by Yahoo — already has people wondering if this could springboard her to Broadway down the line.
How the money works
The Mirrorball is the trophy, but the real money is in salaries and weekly bonuses. Variety has reported that celebs pocket $125,000 when they sign on, covering rehearsals plus the first two on-air weeks. Make it past Week 2, and the pay shifts to a per-episode scale that increases as you survive. Former champ Kaitlyn Bristowe spelled out the structure on the Trading Secrets podcast:
You get a bonus every week that you make it. The final four are in the final episode, they all get paid the same... But your signing bonus, I think you can negotiate a bit, like, to sign to say you’re going on the show.
Back in 2019, Variety pegged the max payday at around $295,000 if you reach the finale — a useful benchmark even if the exact numbers shift year to year.
What’s next
DWTS returns Monday, October 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+ with a Wicked-themed night. Expect at least one elimination — possibly two — now that the sentimental pause is over.