Dancing with the Stars Ousts Tyler Cameron and Jackson Olson in Week 7

Guest judge Shirley Ballas issued harsh marks and Harry Shum Jr. earned the season's first perfect score before two pairs were eliminated on Tuesday.

The ballroom turned into a genuine nightmare for social media personality Jackson Olson and reality television veteran Tyler Cameron on Tuesday night, as both contestants were eliminated from Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars. The exits concluded a high-stakes Halloween Horror Movie Night that featured a demanding guest judge, the season's first perfect score and an uncharacteristic live broadcast stumble from the judges' table.

After an emotional Dedication Night with no eliminations last week, the ten remaining couples faced a double elimination determined by combining judges' scores and viewer votes across both weeks of competition. When co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough announced the results, Olson and partner Emma Slater stood alongside Cameron and Sharna Burgess in the bottom positions, ending their Mirrorball Trophy campaigns. Actress Tatyana Ali and pro Jan Ravnik also landed among the final three endangered couples before learning they were safe.

The broadcast leaned heavily into cinema frights, pairing couples with iconic horror titles ranging from classic monster films to contemporary psychological thrillers. Guest judge Shirley Ballas, the longtime head judge on the British series Strictly Come Dancing and mother of pro Mark Ballas, brought a strict technical eye that quickly disrupted the leaderboard.

Ballas set a severe tone early in the evening. Critiquing actress Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa for an Argentine tango inspired by The Omen, Ballas awarded a rare score of 4 out of 10, pointing out loose footwork and unstable posture. Later, Ballas held up another 4 paddle for Ali and Ravnik's paso doble inspired by Sinners, citing a distinct lack of recognizable style technique despite the routine's intensity.

Even Ballas' own family members did not escape rigorous scrutiny. When Mark Ballas and reality star Maura Higgins closed the competition with a contemporary routine set to Cry Little Sister from The Lost Boys, the guest judge handed the couple a 7, urging Higgins to rotate her feet more cleanly through transitions. Higgins and Ballas posted a 32 out of 40 total.

Against the backdrop of tight scoring, Harry Shum Jr. and partner Jenna Johnson delivered the evening's standout performance. Dancing a contemporary routine inspired by the Saw franchise, the pair earned glowing praise from the entire panel for narrative precision and athletic control. Judge Bruno Tonioli described the performance as perfection, while Derek Hough lauded Shum's acting commitment. The dance captured four 10s, securing the season's first flawless score of 40 out of 40.

The live broadcast also produced unexpected human moments at the judges' desk. While evaluating Higgins and Mark Ballas, veteran judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised the elegance of the choreography before momentarily blanking on live television. Inaba stopped speaking mid-critique, lost her train of thought and laughed off the slip before passing the floor to Hough. Inaba eventually awarded the couple a 9, remaining among their highest scorers of the round.

Earlier in the program, pro Val Chmerkovskiy made his return to the ballroom alongside actress Jenna Dewan following a one-week disciplinary suspension. Producers had sidelined Chmerkovskiy during Dedication Night over a controversial social media comment referencing Inaba. Performing an Argentine tango inspired by 28 Weeks Later, Dewan pushed through a brief wardrobe malfunction when her shoe snagged on her gown. After kicking free from the fabric, Dewan completed the routine without missing a beat, earning a 37 out of 40 that included a 10 from Hough.

Fellow contenders Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold matched that 37-point total with an Annabelle-inspired contemporary dance that earned Inaba's praise as the contemporary king. Figure skater Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov posted 36 points for their Black Swan routine, while Paralympic athlete Ezra Frech powered through physical discomfort from his prosthetic leg to earn 35 points with Daniella Karagach.

Olson, who performed a Joker-themed routine that scored 35, expressed gratitude for his time on the series, noting he had wanted to compete since last year. Cameron, whose Bram Stoker's Dracula waltz scored 26 after Ballas gave him a 5, admitted disappointment over letting Burgess down. The surviving eight couples now advance to Disney Night, which airs on a special Monday broadcast next week due to election coverage.

Source:

People Magazine October 27, 2026

TV Insider October 27, 2026

MJSBIGBLOG October 27, 2026