Overview
- Affleck and Ravnik were eliminated following a contemporary to Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” earning 32/40 from the judges and mixed feedback on execution and connection.
- Derek Hough addressed the off‑show chatter in his on‑air remarks, calling it a “fantastic first season” for Ravnik, whose résumé includes dancing on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
- Maks Chmerkovskiy’s podcast comments days earlier argued Ravnik lacked ballroom foundation, a critique Peta Murgatroyd framed as the product of a hire influenced by pop‑tour credentials.
- Elaine Hendrix missed the live show after a rehearsal injury sent her to the hospital; her Argentine tango was scored from rehearsal footage, and doctors cleared her to return if voted through.
- Cheryl Burke served as guest judge as the Dance Monster‑thon awarded bonus points, with Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas winning the round and Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy topping the leaderboard; the broadcast noted over 55 million votes and returns next week for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.