Who is Dylan? ‘DWTS’ Season 35 fans confused as Derek Hough misidentifies fan-favorite
The highly anticipated premiere of ‘DWTS’ Season 35 aired on September 15, 2026, and featured the first batch of performances. Under the show’s new format, fans watched the male celebrities perform, after which the first elimination took place. However, a few issues came to light during the first episode. Along with the online voting glitch, Derek Hough referring to Tyler Cameron as Dylan left fans upset. This happened after Tyler and his pro dance partner, Sharna Burgess, delivered their first performance. The two took on a tango routine and danced to Lenny Kravitz’s 'Are You Gonna Go My Way.'
Sharing his thoughts on the duo’s performance, Derek noted, “Dylan, you have this, like, Patrick Swayze aura about you, right? You’re cool, masculine, just effortless. It really is amazing, truly.” Fans watching the premiere episode live quickly pointed out the judge’s mistake and took to social media to share their reactions. As ‘DWTS’ is a long-running, fan-favorite dance competition and Tyler is from ‘Bachelor Nation,’ many viewers were quick to notice the mistake. The show’s previous season featured Dylan Efron, who competed alongside his pro dance partner, Daniella Karagach.
A fan wrote on X, “Did Derek Hough just call Tyler Dylan...? #DWTS,” while another wondered, "Am I the only one who heard Derek call Tyler Cameron Dylan." A fan then wrote, "Bro Derek thinks Tyler Cameron is Dylan Efron from last year," while another individual commented, “Did Derek Hough just call Tyler Cameron “Dylan?” LMAO #DWTS.”
Tyler and Sharna wowed fans with their first performance, and Derek further told the celebrity contestant, “For me, the frame… we need to expand that. I know you’re a big guy, but you can handle that (and) she can handle that, absolutely. I think mirroring your presence with the technique, the frame, the posture, you’re gonna do fantastic.” The duo received 17 points out of 30 after fellow judge Bruno Tonioli said, “I have to say I’m very pleasantly surprised. I mean, look at him, he looks like a tank…In fact, you can move, man. You have natural musicality, a few hiccups here and there, but I’m telling you my love, you have so much potential. Can’t wait to see what you’re going to do.” Fans can watch ‘DWTS’ Night 2 on September 16, 2026, on Disney+ and ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
