“Brutal Scores and a Double Axing”: Shirley Ballas Shocks Fans as Guest Judge on DWTS Horror Movie Night
Spooky season arrived with high drama on Dancing with the Stars during the Tuesday, October 27 episode, as the ballroom embraced Horror Movie Night. With the remaining 10 couples tackling routines inspired by iconic cinematic thrillers following the previous week’s non-elimination, the stakes were sky-high—compounded by the arrival of UK Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas as a guest panellist.
Joining regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough, Ballas pulled no punches, delivering severe single-digit marks that stunned the ballroom, while the high-stakes evening concluded with a brutal double elimination.
Shirley Ballas Sets a Ruthless Standard
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Ballas, the mother of returning pro Mark Ballas, quickly established herself as the toughest critic of the season:
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Stunning Low 4s: Julia Stiles and partner Ezra Sosa opened the show with an Argentine tango inspired by The Omen. While Inaba and Hough awarded 7s and Tonioli an 8, Ballas shocked the studio by handing out a harsh 4 out of 10. She repeated the score for Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik’s Sinners-themed paso doble, arguing the routine lacked authentic technique and traditional paso content.
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No Family Favors: Ballas maintained an uncompromising stance even when evaluating her own son, Mark Ballas, and his celebrity partner Maura Higgins. Reviewing their The Lost Boys contemporary routine, she complimented the lifts and power but bluntly instructed Higgins to clean up her footwork, resulting in a modest 32/40.
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The Season’s First Perfect Score: Ballas proved equally willing to reward brilliance. When Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson executed a chilling Saw-inspired contemporary to 2WEI’s version of “Toxic”, Ballas stated she had never seen anything like it. The routine swept four 10s, earning the first perfect 40/40 of the season.
The Return of Val Chmerkovskiy
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The broadcast also marked the return of professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, who had been handed a one-week suspension following deleted social media comments criticizing Inaba’s scoring of his wife, Jenna Johnson:
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Rehearsal Apology: Reunited with celebrity partner Jenna Dewan, Chmerkovskiy expressed remorse for the disruption:“We are back together. I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that and I feel awful.”
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Ballroom Redemption: Dewan accepted his apology, and the duo delivered an impressive Zombie-inspired Argentine tango set to “Uninvited,” earning a standout 37/40.
Complete Night Scores & Combined Standings
With scores from Dedication Night and Horror Movie Night combined (out of 80 total possible points), the couples finished as follows:
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Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson: Contemporary (Saw) — Night Score: 40/40 — Combined: 76/80 (Leaderboard Leaders)
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Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy: Argentine Tango (Zombie) — Night Score: 37/40 — Combined: 74/80
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Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: Argentine Tango (Black Swan) — Night Score: 36/40 — Combined: 74/80
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Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach: Jazz (The Invisible Man) — Night Score: 35/40 — Combined: 72/80
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Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold: Contemporary (Annabelle: Creation) — Night Score: 37/40 — Combined: 69/80
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Jackson Olson & Emma Slater: Contemporary (Joker) — Night Score: 35/40 — Combined: 67/80
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Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: Contemporary (The Lost Boys) — Night Score: 32/40 — Combined: 67/80
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Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: Argentine Tango (The Omen) — Night Score: 26/40 — Combined: 62/80
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Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: Paso Doble (Sinners) — Night Score: 28/40 — Combined: 60/80
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Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess: Viennese Waltz (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) — Night Score: 26/40 — Combined: 58/80
Double Elimination: Two Fan Favorites Depart
With two couples destined for departure to balance the leaderboard after last week’s freeze, viewer votes combined with the judges’ totals sealed the fate of two pairs:
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Jackson Olson & Emma Slater were eliminated despite strong marks for their energetic Joker contemporary.
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Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess were also sent home after landing at the bottom of the two-week leaderboard with 58/80.
Looking Ahead: Disney Night Schedule Shift
Dancing with the Stars will shift from its traditional Tuesday broadcast next week, airing instead on Monday, November 2. The competition will feature the annual Disney Night, with Tony and Emmy award-winner Cynthia Erivo taking over the guest judging seat.
