From Past to Present: Dancing With the Stars Birthday Bash Delivers Drama, Perfect Scores, and One Elimination
Twenty years. Two decades of quicksteps and tangos, of sequined gowns swirling under glittering lights, of celebrities transformed into dancers before our very eyes. This week, Dancing With the Stars threw itself the ultimate birthday bash—and darling, it was nothing short of spectacular.
The ballroom became a time capsule Tuesday night as the competition paid tribute to its own storied history. Six legendary professionals from season one graced the floor in an opening number that had longtime devotees misty-eyed with nostalgia. But the real coup de théâtre? The return of Tom Bergeron, the beloved former host who made his guest judge debut, marking his first appearance in the ballroom since his controversial departure in 2020. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Bergeron confessed he was “thrilled” to return, promising his judging approach would mirror “pretty much the same as the way I hosted it”—which is to say: charming, witty, and refreshingly honest.
Yet amid the celebration came the evening’s inevitable heartbreak: comedian-actor Andy Richter and his partner Emma Slater bid farewell to the competition, eliminated after a valiant run that showcased Richter’s surprising grace and undeniable commitment.
Season 34 remains deliciously crowded with talent as we hurtle toward the finale. The roster reads like a who’s who of contemporary cultural cachet: Whitney Leavitt from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, social media sensation Alix Earle, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, Traitors champion Dylan Efron (yes, Zac’s brother), actress Elaine Hendrix, wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin (carrying the torch of his legendary father Steve), and until Tuesday, Richter himself.
The 20th Birthday Party format offered double the drama with two distinctive rounds. First, couples performed freestyle routines set to iconic songs from the show’s archives—a meta-theatrical delight that honored the very DNA of DWTS. Then came the relay dance round, where each celebrity partnered with a former mirrorball champion in head-to-head showdowns. Two couples faced off simultaneously, one pair commanding the first half of the song before seamlessly yielding to their competitors. Judges crowned winners from each battle, awarding coveted bonus points that could prove decisive in the competition’s final stretch.
Whitney and Mark, having secured immunity the previous week, bypassed the relay round entirely, banking an automatic two-point advantage—a strategic cushion as the field narrows.
But the night’s crescendo belonged to Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson. Dancing to the very song his sister Bindi Irwin used for her triumphant freestyle—a poignant tribute to their shared legacy and late father—Robert earned the season’s first perfect 40/40 score. Carson told THR that partnering with the conservationist has been “a once in a lifetime opportunity,” adding that a season 34 victory “would just mean everything to me.”
Hot on their heels, Dylan, Alix, and Whitney each claimed their own perfect scores, transforming the leaderboard into a battlefield of excellence.
With only two weeks remaining—Prince Night serving as semifinals, followed by the three-hour finale on November 25th—the stakes have never been higher. As always, fate rests in the combined hands of judges’ scores and viewer votes, with live voting closing shortly after the final East Coast performance.
See the full list of scores for week eight of DWTSÂ season 34Â (aka the 20th Birthday Party episode) below.
Individual Dances
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 36/40
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 40/40
Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 29/40
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 40/40
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 37/40
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 40/40
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 40/40 (+2 bonus points from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night)
Relay Dances
Jordan Chiles and Apolo Anton Ohno (season four champ) (WINNER, +2 bonus points)
Elaine Hendrix and Rashad Jennings (season 24 champ)
Dylan Efron and Rumer Willis (season 20 champ) (WINNER, +2 bonus points)
Andy Richter and Kaitlyn Bristowe (season 29 champ)
Alix Earle and Joey Graziadei (season 33 champ)
Robert Irwin and Xochitl Gomez (season 32 champ) (WINNER, +2 bonus points)
Final Leaderboard
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 42
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 42
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 42
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 40
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 39
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 36
Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 29 (ELIMINATED)
