“DWTS ”season 35 week 3 recap: A bloody nose, a coconut bra, and a bummer elimination on ‘Yacht Rock Night’

Ryan ColemanWed, September 30, 2026 at 2:21 AM UTC

0

Guillermo Rodriguez, Witney Carson, Julia Stiles, Ezra Sosa, Britt Stewart, and Taylor Hanson on ‘DWTS’ season 35Credit: dancing with the stars/instagramKey Points -

Dancing With the Stars season 35 sailed the ocean blue on Tuesday’s “Yacht Rock Night,” which featured sambas and cha-chas to classics by Toto, Fleetwood Mac, and more.

Week 3 of the competition picked up after the elimination of celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, and saw Guillermo Rodriguez, Taylor Hanson, and Jackson Olson struggle.

Both Amber Glenn and Julia Stiles sustained injuries, Tatyana Ali and Connor Wood achieved stellar comebacks, and another sad elimination made for a turbulent night.

Dancing With the Starshas the moms of America on lock, if the viewership data for the coveted woman aged 18-49 demographic is to be believed. After this week, it might have successfully seduced the dads too.

Season 35’s third week of competition wound around one of the most unusual themes in recent DWTS history — “Yacht Rock Night.” Glistening guitars and Mai Tai melodies courtesy performances to songs like Toto’s “Africa” and Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” were almost enough to salve the sting from last week’s bitter elimination.

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis was sent packing after a consistent, albeit short run of low scores for her dances with pro partner Alan Bersten. But there was plenty to look forward to on week 3, including the season’s gold-plated frontrunners — Olympic champs Ezra Frech (who dances with Daniella Karagach) and Amber Glenn (who dances with Karagach’s husband, Pasha Pashkov). Last week also saw the stunning comeback of Fresh Prince star Tatyana Ali with a stirring foxtrot, the sharp drop-off of podcaster Connor Wood, and a worryingly weak tango from Julia Stiles.

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson on ‘DWTS’ season 35Credit: dancing with the stars/instagram

Week 3 was turbulent to say the least, kicking off with a pair of gruesome injuries and capping off with an elimination bound to shock without any obvious laggers left in the competition.

There are a few clear frontrunners so far, like Paralympian Ezra Frech, dancers-turned-actors Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr., and Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn. “Yacht Rock Night” started there, with the decorated figure skater and her pro partner, Pasha Pashkov, rehearsing a foxtrot to “Hold the Line” by Toto. Before they could even get into the groove, Glenn accidentally whammed Pashkov’s nose, which spouted a jet of blood.

Julia Stiles followed suit by suffering a rib injury during her rehearsals, which also saw her break down in tears over her disappointing performance on week 2. “It’s all fun and games until you get a 5,” she sobbed, joking, “here I am in tears on TV!” But both Glenn and Stiles managed to up their games, earning a season-wide high score of 24 for Glenn and a much-improved 19 for Stiles.

It’s true that there’s no contestant left who’s obviously ripe for elimination. But that doesn’t mean they’re all technically skilled. Jimmy Kimmel Live sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez has been skating since week 1 on the good graces of the fans at home, turning in back-to-back stinkers on “Premiere Night” and “Viral Hits Night.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised Rodriguez for at least “working really hard” after his foxtrot with pro partner Witney Carson, but they still scored a meager 15.

But will you even remember any of that after he whipped off his shirt to reveal a coconut bra and the words “DANCING 4 THE PEOPLE” written across his chest?

Last week, Fresh Prince of Bel Air star Tatyana Ali secured a major comeback after a weak premiere week showing with pro partner Jan Ravnik. Judge Derek Hough praised their tango as “breathtaking, ethereal, magical,” and they cranked that 10 to an 11 this week, dancing a quickstep that Hough decreed as their “best dance. You came alive, your footwork was phenomenal... Tonight was your breakthrough.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all smooth sailing on “Yacht Rock Night,” although Grey’s Anatomy star Shum Jr. set a new bar, earning a season-wide high score of 24. Hanson frontman Taylor Hanson, however, sank the mood right after. Even with an emotional connection to the song (Hanson performed The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes” at the band’s introduction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020), the musician and pro partner Britt Stewart stumbled their way to a low 18. Reality star Ciara Miller and Savannah Bananas second baseman Jackson Olson would later match that score, and Bachelor Nation’s Tyler Cameron would do them one worse with 17.

Three early contenders for the Mirrorball continued their winning streaks — Frech, Traitors star Maura Higgins, The Rookie’s Jenna Dewan. “I really want to fight this week. I woke up like, ‘Get me into rehearsals,’” Higgins goaded in her inimitable Irish lilt. Hough called her quickstep with pro partner and Traitors costar Mark Ballas “a masterclass in elegance,” but cautioned her to be sure and “finish the movies.”

Dewan’s pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy worried they might be “losing the magic of, ‘Who is Jenna Dewan?’” after they were subject to a rough round of critiques last week. But they surged back to 21 after a sizzling sambato “Africa” by Toto. “You attack everything like a lioness on the hunt,” judge Bruno Tonioli raved, gently noting that Dewan should “watch your shoulders” going forward. And though the 21 earned by Frech and his pro partner, Daniella Karagach, bumps them out of the top spot they won last week, Inaba said their presence in the competition “[makes] us all better judges and better people.”

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov on ‘DWTS’Credit: abc

Amber Glenn & Pasha PashkovDance: Foxtrot to “Hold the Line” by TotoScore: 24

Julia Stiles & Ezra SosaDance: Salsa to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall & John OatesScore: 19

Advertisement

Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney CarsonDance: Foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert HolmesScore: 15

Tatyana Ali & Jan RavnikDance: Quickstep to “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John OatesScore: 21

Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik on ‘DWTS’Credit: dancing with the stars/instagram

Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna JohnsonDance: Jive to “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Daryl Hall & John OatesScore: 24

Taylor Hanson & Britt StewartDance: Foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie BrothersScore: 18

Maura Higgins & Mark BallasDance: Quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around” by George BensonScore: 22

Ciara Miller & Brandon ArmstrongDance: Cha-cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther VandrossScore: 18

Jackson Olson & Emma SlaterDance: Paso doble routine to “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey and Phil CollinsScore: 18

Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. on ‘DWTS’Credit: dancing with the stars/instagram

Connor Wood & Rylee ArnoldDance: Foxtrot to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood MacScore: 20

Jenna Dewan & Val ChmerkovskiyDance: Sambato “Africa” by TotoScore: 21

Tyler Cameron & Sharna BurgessDance: Jive to “Still the One” by OrleansScore: 17

Ezra Frech & Daniella KaragachDance: Foxtrot to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. (feat. Bill Withers)Score: 21

Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart for ‘DWTS’ season 35Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles

Five shoutouts to Paris Baguette and about 100 on-theme cocktails later, it was time to cull the herd.

13 couples entered on Tuesday, and then there were three on the chopping block: Olson and Slater, Rodriguez and Witney, and Taylor and Britt. When the time came, cohost Alfonso Ribeiro called out Taylor and Britt.

The couple were visibly shocked and dismayed by the results, but still handled their elimination with grace. “This has been everything. This has been incredible; she has showed me things I didn’t think were possible, and I’m so grateful,” Hanson said. Stewart added, “Taylor, I’m so grateful that I now have you in my life. Thank you so much for everything. You are amazing.”

New episodes of Dancing With the Stars season 35 air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”