The seven remaining couples on Dancing With the Stars honored the late Whitney Houston with dance routines to her well-known songs in the most recent episode.
The anticipation was heightened when Billy Porter, who had amusingly dubbed himself the “male Whitney Houston,” arrived on the judging panel following his opening act of the evening, a rendition of “How Will I Know.”
Harry Jowsey began the evening on the dance floor with a Viennese waltz to “I Have Nothing” by The Bodyguard. The judges criticized the performance and pointed out its elegance and some weak points.
Regarding Jowsey’s dancing size, Derek Hough remarked that it appeared comparatively diminutive given his height. Billy Porter rated it a five out of ten, indicating that he wished it had been more seductive. They received a score of 28 out of 40 for their performance.
Dancing With the Stars contestants Xochitl and Ariana Madix stole the night.
With a sprained ankle, Xochitl Gomez still gave an intense tango performance to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” winning the judges over with a round of applause. As “dancing at its best,” Bruno Tonioli put it, and Carrie Ann Inaba called it “flawless.”
The judges gave her the season’s first perfect score for her outstanding performance.
Ariana Madix won the title of “Queen of the Night” thanks to her explosive paso doble, which delighted the judges and the crowd alike. She was left stunned when she received an incredible 39 out of 40 for her outstanding performance, which earned her the second-highest score of the evening.
Dancing With the Stars “dance-off” round
The first matchup in the “dance-off” round pitted Harry and Rylee against Alyson and Sasha in a head-to-head rumba. Billy suggested Harry avoid dancing like a “tree trunk” and add more difficult steps.
In the end, Alyson and Sasha were declared the victorious pair, receiving three bonus points. In the following face-off, Jason & Daniella and Barry & Peta performed a salsa side by side. Barry won because he enthralled the judges and audience with his passionate removal of his hot pink shirt.
In the end, Xochitl & Val and, Charity & Artem fought it out in a close cha-cha, but Charity won the extra point because the judges thought her moves had more drive.
Barry Williams was eventually removed, though. As the couple said their goodbyes, the audience responded unexpectedly, booing in disbelief.
Barry expressed similar feelings when he said, “It’s been the most amazing experience of my life. This has been an absolute pleasure to be around, and after the first night, I knew I had won.”
Taylor Swift is impatient for the Dancing With the Stars celebration of her music
Next week is the first-ever Taylor Swift night, so get ready to “Shake It Off” and live out your “Wildest Dreams”! Every couple will perform dances to some of Swift’s most well-known songs, turning the dance floor into a tribute to her music.
The six DWTS finalists—Jason Mraz, Ariana Madix, Xochitl Gomez, Charity Lawson, Alyson Hannigan, and Harry Jowsey—will perform ballroom dances to the pop singer’s songs on the upcoming Taylor Swift Night.
Lead choreographer for Swift’s Eras Tour, Mandy Moore, will be a guest judge on the special evening’s judging panel. Early in October, Billboard broke the exclusive news about Taylor Swift Night.
In a behind-the-scenes interview following the Oct. 3 performance, professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd alluded to the celebration by expressing excitement about a week devoted to the pop star without providing any further details.
Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+ are when “Dancing With the Stars” airs. The next day, Hulu offers streaming for the show.
