Dancing With the Stars Season 35 delivered an unexpected laugh during its premiere when judge Derek Hough accidentally called Tyler Cameron by the wrong name. Cameron had just completed his first performance with professional partner Sharna Burgess when Hough began giving his critique and suddenly referred to the Bachelor Nation star as “Dylan.” The mistake immediately caught the attention of viewers watching at home.
Cameron and Burgess had taken the ballroom floor for a tango set to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” The routine marked Cameron’s first performance on the long-running competition, and the pair received plenty of positive feedback from the judging panel. Bruno Tonioli praised Cameron’s natural musicality, while Carrie Ann Inaba said she was impressed by his commanding performance.
Then it was Hough’s turn to comment, and the moment took an unexpected turn. Instead of addressing Cameron by his actual first name, Hough began his critique by calling him “Dylan.” He continued speaking directly to Cameron and praised his presence, describing him as cool, masculine and effortless while also offering advice about his frame, posture and technique.
The awkward part was that Hough did not appear to notice the mistake while delivering his critique. Cameron also seemed to simply let the moment pass, meaning there was no immediate correction onstage. Viewers, however, were quick to catch what had happened, and the name mix-up soon became one of the most talked-about moments from the premiere.
The mystery behind the name “Dylan” quickly became part of the fun. The most likely explanation is that Hough momentarily confused Cameron with Dylan Efron, who competed on the previous season of Dancing With the Stars. Efron, the brother of actor Zac Efron, made it to the Season 34 finale with professional partner Daniella Karagach and finished in fourth place.
The connection became even more entertaining after the premiere. Cameron and Efron later teamed up for a playful social-media video, joking about the mix-up by emphasizing that they were not the same person. Hough joined the fun in the comments, jokingly referring to the pair as “2 DYLANS,” turning what could have been an uncomfortable mistake into a lighthearted moment between the three celebrities.
Hough also appeared to embrace the mistake himself. In a video shared after the premiere, the judge poked fun at his tendency to mix up names, jokingly calling several of his fellow DWTS personalities by completely different names. He even attributed the mishaps to “dad brain,” showing that he was willing to laugh at his own on-air mistake rather than take it too seriously.
Despite the name confusion, Hough’s actual assessment of Cameron’s performance was largely positive. He praised the celebrity’s natural presence while pointing out that Cameron could improve his frame and posture. The judging panel ultimately gave Cameron and Burgess a combined score of 17 out of 30 for their first routine.
For Cameron, the premiere was still a strong introduction to the DWTS ballroom. The 33-year-old entered the competition with plenty of attention from Bachelor Nation fans, while Burgess returned as his professional partner. Their tango gave viewers an early look at what the pair could bring to the competition, even if Cameron’s first night will now also be remembered for being temporarily transformed into “Dylan.”
What began as an awkward judging slip ultimately created an unexpected connection between Tyler Cameron, Dylan Efron and Derek Hough. Rather than becoming a serious controversy, the mistake quickly turned into a running joke, with Cameron and Efron joining in and Hough laughing at himself afterward. For DWTS viewers, the accidental name swap became one of the premiere’s most memorable moments — and one Cameron will probably not soon forget.
Compiled with information from various sources.
