‘DWTS’ Recap: Robert Irwin Has Everyone in Tears on Dedication Night
Disney/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 4 minutes
Dancing with the Stars Season 34 returned on Tuesday for Dedication Night, as the remaining celebrities performed routines dedicated to important people in their lives, who appeared on the ballroom floor with them. Former DWTS pro Kym Johnson joined the panel as a guest judge during the episode.
An unforgettable Contemporary from the heart. ♥️ What an elegant routine from Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. #DedicationNight #DWTS pic.twitter.com/OA59gqJZsV
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) October 15, 2025
Robert Irwin Has Everyone in Tears on DWTS Dedication Night
There were plenty of tears shed during Tuesday’s new DWTS episode, but arguably the most emotional moment of the night came when Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson danced a contemporary routine to “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins, dedicated to Robert’s mom Terri.
The entire panel was choked up as they shared their thoughts on the performance, with Bruno Tonioli calling it a “true expression of everlasting love” and Derek Hough saying, “The world needs the Irwin family.” When it came to scoring, Robert earned his first 9s of the season from three of the judges, plus an 8 from Carrie Ann Inaba, bringing his total to 35 out of 40.
Tying with him on the DWTS leaderboard, also with a score of 35, was Alix Earle. She and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced a contemporary routine to “Sparks” by Coldplay, dedicated to Alix’s younger sister Izabel. Tonioli told her she “made it look so easy.”
WILL ‘DWTS’ CONTESTANT ROBERT IRWIN BE THE NEXT STAR OF ‘THE BACHELOR’?
All the stars aligned in that immaculate #DedicationNight Contemporary from Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach. 💫 #DWTS pic.twitter.com/5DrN9XqX3p
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) October 15, 2025
Dylan Efron Shoots to the Top of the Leaderboard
Although Robert and Alix both delivered moving performances during Tuesday’s DWTS episode, they weren’t at the top of the leaderboard. That honor went to Dylan Efron, who danced a contemporary routine with his partner Daniella Karagach to “Rewrite the Stars” by his brother Zac Efron & Zendaya, dedicated to his younger sister Olivia.
Tonioli called Dylan “the next greatest showman,” adding that he’s “getting better and better” each week. Inaba told him that he “made my night” with his dance, while Kym Johnson said he’s “becoming such a great dancer.”
All four DWTS judges ended up giving Dylan and Daniella a 9 for their routine, bringing their total for the night to 36 out of 40. This was the first time Dylan has a received a 9, and also the first time he’s topped the leaderboard this season.
That Viennese Waltz put the color in our world! What a radiant performance from Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa. 🙌 #DedicationNight #DWTS pic.twitter.com/LhxdwU0y5Z
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) October 15, 2025
Special Guests Impress the Judges
This week, the DWTS celebrities and their partners were joined on the dance floor by special people in their lives. Some of these special guests only made small appearances, while others were heavily featured in the choreography. Some of them earned praise from the judges for their talent.
That includes actress Lisa Ann Walter, who joined her Parent Trap co-star Elaine Hendrix in a glamorous foxtrot to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole with Elaine’s partner Alan Bersten. Elaine earned a score of 30 out of 40 for the dance.
Whitney Leavitt’s husband Connor also impressed in a contemporary routine set to to “Heal” by Jamal Roberts with Whitney’s partner Mark Ballas. Tonioli called it a “very, very ambitious routine.” Whitney earned a score of 33 out of 40.
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa were joined by Jordan’s father Timothy in a sweet Viennese waltz to “Daughters” by John Mayer. The judges pointed out that Timothy was dancing with Jordan for most of the routine. Jordan earned a score of 32 out of 40.
Other special guests this week included Jen Affleck’s mother Maria, in a Viennese Waltz with partner Jan Ravnik that earned a 29 out of 40; Scott Hoying’s husband Mark, in a foxtrot with partner Rylee Arnold that earned a 30 out of 40; and Danielle Fishel’s Boy Meets World co-star William Daniels, in a jive with partner Pasha Pashkov that earned a 29 out of 40.
Andy Richter and Emma Slater came to shake it in that spicy #DedicationNight Salsa! 🪇 💃 #DWTS pic.twitter.com/6WgP039lT8
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) October 15, 2025
There Was No Elimination This Week
At the end of the night, DWTS co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough surprised the contestants with the news that there would be no elimination. The scores and votes from this week’s show will carry over into next week’s show.
That means Andy Richter and Emma Slater will have another opportunity to dance, even as they remained at the bottom of the leaderboard this week. Their salsa to “Jump in the Line” by Harry Belafonte, dedicated to Andy’s daughter Cornelia, earned a score of 24 out of 40. Inaba said she “saw improvement” in Andy’s technique.
What did you think about this week’s performances? Did any of them bring you to tears? Are you glad there wasn’t an elimination on Dedication Night? Let us know in the comments below, and tune in next Tuesday on ABC and Disney+ for a night themed to Wicked.
