Talk about a jump-scare.
And not just becauseDancing With the Stars’ Oct. 27 episode’s theme was Horror Movie Night. One week after all the celebrity contestants were marked safe during the emotional Dedication Night,the ABC competition axed not one buttwocouples.
Indeed, after seven weeks of competing, Savannah Bananas baseball playerJackson Olsonand his pro partnerEmma Slater—who achieved a season-high score of 35 out of 40 for their contemporary dance during the episode—and Bachelor Nation alum Tyler Cameronand his pro partnerSharna Burgess were cut from the show after receiving the lowest combined judges and audience scores over the course of the past two weeks.
“I wanted to be on this [show] since last year, and I made a bunch of videos about it,” Olson said after his elimination. “I got on it, and I got the most amazing partner in Emma. So, this journey has been amazing.”
And while Cameron felt that his time in the competition had been “incredible,” he lamented his performance of the Viennese Waltz earlier in the night, which received a total score of 26 out of 40.
“You saw me upset up there,” he shared, before turning his attention to Burgess. “I was disappointed in myself because I felt like I let her down.”
Still, Cameron emphasized that his partner had been “so good” to him. As he put it, “She has given me so much, and I have a special woman in my life now.”
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Beyond the haunting(ly beautiful)routines throughout the night—presided over by guest judgeShirleyBallas—eyes were definitely onValChmerkovskiy, whomade his return to the ballroomalongside partnerJenna Dewanafter his one-week suspension. The couple took the stage with an Argentine tango to “Uninvited” byDamnedAnthemandKendraDantesin a tribute to zombie films.
Chmerkovskiywasbenched for the Oct. 20 episode—withAlanBerstenstepping in to dance with Dewan—over comments alluding toWill Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slapwhen addressing judgeCarrie Ann Inaba’s critique of his wifeJenna Johnson.
The 40-year-old later apologized, which he also did during the night’s pre-performance package. For her part, Dewan responded with grace, telling Chmerkovskiy, “I forgive you. I missed you.”
Earlier in the week,Inaba shared that she and Johnson“hugged it out”after the tense moment during the Oct. 13 Super Bowl Night episode, when the judge called out a lift in Johnson andpartnerHarry Shum Jr.’s dance that she said wasn’t allowed.
Eric McCandless/Disney; Christopher Willard/Disney
“I have not spoken about what happened because of professional courtesy for those who are still competing, and we actually have standards and practices that keep us separated,” Inaba explained in an Oct. 25Instagramcomment. “But I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened.”
As she put it, “It’s important for everyone to know that Jenna and I hugged it out after the Super Bowl show. Jenna was an absolute professional about it, and two women worked through the moment.”
That said, Inaba emphasized that the show would bereviewing the show’s lift rule, possibly making changes that are more in line with how the show has evolved over the years.
“Working together to create a better understanding between the dancers and the judges and our audience is important to me,” she added, “as we move forward and is something I have asked for.”
Beyond the peek behind the curtain that Inaba gave fans, read on to learn other secrets about Dancing With the Stars.
ABC/Paula Lobo
However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.
“That show pays OK,” the radio personality said on a Sept. 2025 episode of Jason Tartick’s podcast Trading Secrets. “Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last.”
Also receiving a base salary of around $110,000, Bones continued, “I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show.”
ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.
But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.
“You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks,” Jenna Johnson said on a June 2025 episode of Kelly Stafford and Hank Winchester’s podcast The Morning After. “I think there’s different contracts though. I can’t speak for everybody.”
While Johnson—who won season 26 with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, as well as season 33 with The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei—says the pros don’t get a larger paycheck if they take home what is now called the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, she noted there’s still an incentive to make it to the finale (besides bragging rights, of course).
“If you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing, and you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale,” she explained on The Morning After. “If you win, it’s not like you win a $1 million and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”
On a 2022 episode of Trading Secrets, Lindsay Arnold recalled how her salary was cut “more than in half” when she was demoted from pro to troupe member.
“You get no say,” Lindsay said on a May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers’ Hot Smart Rich podcast. “It’s very much just, ‘Here’s your partner. Make it work.'”
In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.
“They really want to keep it a secret until you meet them live,” Jenna said on The Morning After. “They want that genuine reaction. So I think people always think we know who we have and we’re keeping it a secret. Absolutely not. They do not tell us. They really don’t even want us to know the cast. It gets leaked a lot, but they want it very hush-hush until you walk in and meet your partner.”
As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?
“It’s based on height, build and personality and compatibility,” former showrunner Rob Wade told E! News in 2015. “We don’t pair people who aren’t going to get on. It’s too intense. It’s not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn’t do that. That would just be miserable experience for the celebrity, for us and the viewer. You don’t want to see two people who don’t like each other and, quite frankly, we have made that mistake pairing people up who didn’t get on so well.”
