“Dancing With the Stars” judge Derek Hough gave viewers an unexpected laugh during the Season 35 premiere when he accidentally called contestant Tyler Cameron by the wrong name. The live-TV slip happened September 15 after Cameron completed his first competitive dance.
Cameron, best known to many viewers from “The Bachelorette,” is competing alongside returning professional dancer Sharna Burgess. For their premiere routine, the pair performed a tango to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”
The performance received encouraging feedback from the judges. Bruno Tonioli praised Cameron’s natural musicality, while Carrie Ann Inaba said she was impressed by his commanding presence on the ballroom floor.
Then it was Hough’s turn to offer his critique. He began by comparing Cameron’s presence to actor and “Dirty Dancing” star Patrick Swayze, but there was one noticeable problem—he addressed Tyler as “Dylan.”
Hough apparently did not realize he had made the mistake. He continued praising Cameron’s cool and effortless quality before explaining that the contestant needed to improve his frame, posture and technique as the competition progresses.
Cameron did not make a big deal out of the mix-up either. The moment passed quickly on television, but viewers watching from home immediately noticed that Hough had called him by a completely different name.
Fans quickly began joking about the mistake on social media. Some simply questioned whether they had heard Hough correctly, while others laughed about the judge apparently forgetting Cameron’s name during his very first appearance in the ballroom.
One theory quickly emerged about where “Dylan” came from. Hough may have momentarily confused Cameron with Dylan Efron, who competed on Season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars” and reached the finale with professional partner Daniella Karagach. Hough himself, however, did not publicly explain the slip during the broadcast.
Some fans leaned into the mix-up with jokes referencing the show’s voting system, while others playfully asked whether Hough could get the contestants’ names right. The mistake ultimately became one of the most talked-about lighter moments from the first premiere night.
Despite the name confusion, Hough’s actual assessment of Cameron was largely positive. He believed Cameron already possessed strong stage presence and suggested that combining that natural quality with improved ballroom technique could make him much stronger.
Cameron and Burgess ultimately earned 17 points out of 30 for their tango. Before the season began, Cameron had described Burgess as his dream partner and said he wanted someone who would challenge him and push him hard during rehearsals.
So while Cameron’s first “DWTS” routine gave him a respectable start in the competition, it was Hough’s accidental “Dylan” that unexpectedly stole some of the attention afterward. Cameron appeared to brush off the mistake, and fans turned the awkward live-TV moment into plenty of jokes as Season 35 got underway
