Tuesday, November 14 was Whitney Houston Night on DWTS! The seven remaining couples danced a routine celebrating the iconic music of late singer, Whitney Houston. Tuesday’s show also included a special guest at the judge’s table – actor and singer Billy Porter. Additionally, the remaining couples competed in a dance-off, which rewarded the winning couples with three bonus points. Tuesday’s scores had a 12-point gap between the lowest to highest couples, with points ranging from 28 to 40.
Too Hot To Handle star Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold danced first with their Viennese Waltz to “I Have Nothing.” After Arnold noticed Jowsey was having some trouble mastering the technique needed for the routine, she quickly signed the two of them up for a ballet class. Despite taking the class, Jowsey (once again) showed little improvement on the dance floor. The judges encouraged Jowsey to use up more space in the ballroom moving forward. The routine earned the couple 28 out of 40 points, landing them at the bottom of the leaderboard – again.
Next up, Grammy winner Jason Mraz and his partner Daniella Karagach danced a Samba to “Higher Love.” Mraz shared in his package how the couple had taken on a more difficult dance this week to impress the judges. However, just like last week, the judges had unfair critiques on his performance. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba even explained that Mraz is “getting a little lost in the mix.” The routine only earned the couple 33 points. Now we cross our fingers for Mraz to have a better week next week!
Actress Alyson Hannigan then danced a Contemporary with her partner Sasha Farber to “Greatest Love of All.” Hannigan revealed that this song has a special place in her heart, since it’s the song that taught her the importance of self love when she was younger. Hannigan nailed the routine and even moved Inaba to tears. The couple earned 33 out of 40 points – tying with Mraz and Karagach on the leaderboard.
Actress Xochitl Gomez and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced a Tango next to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Gomez shared her worries for rehearsals this week after recovering from an ankle injury from the week prior. Despite her concerns, Gomez absolutely nailed her Tango, and there was no injury in sight! The routine earned the couple a perfect score of 40 points – making it the first perfect score for an individual couple this season.
The Brady Bunch star Barry Williams and his partner Peta Murgatroyd danced next with their Rumba to “Didn’t We Almost Have It All.” In his package, Williams shared how he was disappointed that his scores went down the previous week. Williams then FaceTImed his wife Tina Mahina, who is a hula dancer, to help give him tips on how to loosen his hips for his Rumba. After his routine, the judges all commended his “great Rumba” and gave him 32 out of 40 points.
Bachelorette star Charity Lawson and her partner Artem Chigvintsev danced next with their Viennese Waltz to “I Will Always Love You.” In her package, Lawson explained that she was “frustrated” with the previous week’s scores. “8s are like 6s at the stage which we are at,” Lawson added. Lawson worked extra hard this week to earn higher scores, and she deservingly earned four “9s.”
Vanderpump Rules reality star Ariana Madix and her partner Pasha Pashkov had the last dance of the night before the dance-off. The couple danced a Paso Doble to “Queen of the Night.” Madix and Pashkov were exempt from the dance-off because they had the highest scores the week prior. This meant the couple had extra time to focus and perfect their routine. The judges praised Madix’s dance, and gave the couple a 39 out of 40.
It was now time for the dance-off – a segment that would give the winning couples 3 additional points. The first dance-off was Harry Jowsey and his partner Rylee Arnold versus Alyson Hannigan and her partner Sasha Farber. The couples did a Rumba side-by-side to “One Moment in Time.” When the dance-off was over, the judges declared Hannigan and Farber as the winners.
The next dance-off was Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach versus Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd. The couples did a Salsa to “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.” Williams quickly stole the audience’s attention with his dance and even ripped his shirt open! The judges quickly declared Williams and Murgatroyd as the winners.
The final dance-off was Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy versus Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev. The couples danced a Cha Cha to “So Emotional.” It was a hard call, but the judges ultimately chose Lawson and Chigvintsev as the winners.
It was then time for the most heartbreaking elimination of the season. Lawson and Chigvintsev, Mraz and Karagach, and Williams and Murgatroyd found themselves as the bottom three based on viewers’ votes. It was then revealed that Williams and Murgatroyd had been eliminated – even after Williams had his best night this season!
Attention Swifties! A new episode of DWTS will premiere on Tuesday, November 21 – and it will be Taylor Swift night! We’re super excited for this night of the competition and can’t wait to see the remaining six couples dance to some of Swift’s biggest hits!