Dancing With the Stars delivered its first major elimination shock of Season 35 when Taylor Hanson and professional partner Britt Stewart were sent home at the end of Yacht Rock Night — just as the pair appeared to be finding their rhythm in the competition.
Taylor and Britt performed a Foxtrot to The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes,” earning 18 out of 30 from Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. It was a respectable result and came after a performance that showed continued improvement from the Hanson singer.
The score placed them above Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, who finished the evening with 15 points, making Taylor’s elimination even more unexpected for viewers watching the leaderboard.
But DWTS results are determined by both judges’ scores and viewer votes, meaning a stronger position on the judges’ leaderboard does not guarantee safety.
When the final results were announced, Taylor and Britt learned their time in the ballroom was over.
Britt appeared visibly emotional as the pair processed the result. She later admitted she was still “in shock,” saying she had expected Season 35 to be unpredictable — just not in this way.
For Taylor, the elimination was especially difficult because he felt their partnership was only beginning to develop. Speaking afterward, he said he was sad to leave because they were “just getting going” and described the experience as both challenging and rewarding.
He also gave Britt significant credit for helping him through the competition. Taylor joked that she had become part dance instructor and part counselor as she pushed him to work through the nerves and personal challenges that came with performing live.
Britt was equally emotional about losing the partnership so early. She spoke about how strongly she and Taylor connected during their short time together and suggested their friendship would continue even though their competition journey had ended.
The result quickly generated surprise among DWTS viewers, with coverage of the episode describing Taylor’s departure as one of the season’s first genuinely unexpected eliminations.
Taylor became the fourth celebrity eliminated from Season 35, following Conner Leavitt, Sarah Jane Nader and Giada De Laurentiis. His departure leaves 12 celebrities still competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.
For Britt, the goodbye clearly hurt. And for Taylor, leaving immediately after a performance that appeared to show progress made the result even harder to accept. Their DWTS run may have ended much earlier than expected, but the emotional reaction surrounding their exit made it one of Season 35’s most talked-about results so far.
