A Football-Themed Extravaganza
The ballroom took on a sports-arena atmosphere this week as Dancing With the Stars celebrated Super Bowl Night with performances designed to impress. The competition featured guest judge Joe Buck, who joined the panel to evaluate the routines.
Standout Performances
Maura Higgins and her partner, Mark Ballas, opened the night with a tango. Despite dealing with a neck injury during practice, Higgins delivered a performance inspired by Rihanna's 2023 halftime show. The duo received a solid score of 33 out of 40, with Buck notably remarking that he felt «proud to be Irish» after witnessing their dance.
However, the highest marks of the evening belonged to Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy. Their intense paso doble secured a perfect set of four 9s from the judges. Dewan shared her excitement with cohost Julianne Hough, stating:
«I have no words for what I feel. I’m in shock, I’m so grateful. I am beyond, like, I couldn’t be happier right now.»
Dewan shared the top of the leaderboard with Paralympian Ezra Frech, who also impressed the judges with a vibrant salsa alongside partner Daniella Karagach.
The Final Score
While some couples celebrated their success, the evening concluded with a disappointment for Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson. Their salsa routine garnered only 22 points, resulting in their elimination from the competition. Reflecting on his time on the show, Rodriguez remained positive, noting, «I had a lot of fun, it was great,» and expressed his gratitude to Carson for her patience in «teaching [him] how to dance.»
Viewers can catch season 35 of Dancing With the Stars on ABC and Disney+ every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.