Who got eliminated on ‘DWTS’? Halloween Night sends home unexpected couple, bottom pair survives another week
‘Dancing With the Stars’ turned up the fright and the footwork for its annual Halloween Night spectacle, serving up eerie choreography, haunting songs, and the return of a fan-favorite competition twist: the Dance Marathon. The October 28 episode transformed the ballroom into a spine-chilling scene straight out of a horror movie, complete with fog, flashing lights, and costumed contestants giving their all. From sharp Tangos to haunting Contemporary routines, the night’s dances were set to a chilling mix of hits including Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do,’ Charli XCX and Ariana Grande’s ‘Sympathy is a Knife,’ and Lady Gaga’s ‘The Dead Dance.’
Pros Jan Ravnik and Jenna Johnson also joined in on the Halloween fun, performing a special number to Taylor Swift’s ‘CANCELLED!’ This week’s judging panel featured a familiar face: 'DWTS' alum and two-time Mirrorball champion Cheryl Burke, who stepped away from the competition in 2022. She returned to the show as a guest judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. But the night’s real thrill came with the comeback of the Dance Marathon, a test of endurance and energy that put all the remaining pairs (except for the injured Elaine Hendrix and her partner Alan Bersten) on the floor at once.
The couples kicked things off with a Hustle to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ before shifting into a Lindy Hop to Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock’s ‘A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got).’ As the music kept pulsing, judges eliminated pairs one by one until only two remained: Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, and Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy. According to Forbes, after an intense showdown, Leavitt and Ballas were declared the king and queen of the “Dance Monster-thon,” earning five bonus points to boost their total score. Earle and Chmerkovskiy took second, adding four extra points to their near-perfect night.
By the end of the Halloween Night episode, the leaderboard revealed some fierce competition and surprising shifts in rankings. Earle and Chmerkovskiy took the top spot with an impressive total of 43 points, earning 39 out of 40 from the judges and four bonus points from the Dance Marathon. Just behind them were Leavitt and Ballas, who secured 37 points plus five bonus points, landing at a close 42 overall. Robert Irwin and Witney Carson followed closely with 38 out of 40 and three bonus points for a total of 41. Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, along with Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, both finished the night with 38 points after their respective combinations of scores and bonuses.
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov trailed slightly with 35 points, while Jen Affleck and Ravnik earned 34. Hendrix and Bersten, who were unable to compete in the Dance Marathon due to Hendrix’s injury, ended the evening with 32 points. At the bottom of the scoreboard were Andy Richter and Emma Slater, who earned 28 from the judges and one additional bonus point, finishing with 29 overall. When it came time for the results, the tension was palpable. As per Parade, Jen Affleck and her partner Jan Ravnik were eliminated after receiving the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewer votes.
Affleck reflected on her time in the competition: “This experience has meant everything to me. I cannot wait to talk about this in the future with my kids. I did this for my kids, and I'm so grateful for the experience.” Meanwhile, Ravnik praised her spirit, calling her “a rockstar.” Meanwhile, Richter and Slater narrowly avoided elimination, surviving another week despite their position at the bottom of the scoreboard.
