‘Dancing With the Stars’ Recap: A New Star Tops the Leaderboard After Emotional Dedication Night

[WARNING: This post contains MAJOR spoilers from Dancing With the Stars Season 34, Episode 5.]

The competition continued with the most emotional week yet on Dancing With the Stars Season 34. For the Tuesday, October 14, episode, “Dedication Night,” the remaining 10 stars honored the most important people in their lives with special routines.

To make things even more special, the honorees joined the contestants on the dance floor for parts of the dances. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli were also joined by former pro Kym Johnson Herjavec at the judges’ table, so the scores were all out of 40 instead of 30 this week.

At the end of the episode, there was a shocking reveal during results. Scroll down for a recap of the performances and leaderboard, including the new dancer at the top!

Andy Richter & Emma Slater — 24/40

Andy Richter has been kept in the competition thanks to viewer votes all season long, and he continued to tug at heartstrings with his salsa dance, which he dedicated to his stepdaughter, Cornelia.

Cornelia joined Richter on the dance floor for part of his performance to “Jump in the Line.” Herjavec gave Richter some encouraging words, as she reminded him that she once danced with Jerry Springer and kept getting voted through, despite having low scores.

“Sweetness, light, all things bright,” Tonioli said, while also referring to Cornelia as a “little Baby Spice.” He noted that there were “plenty of steps” in the routing, although they weren’t always on time. “I saw improvement tonight,” Inaba said. “There’s something going on. You’re starting to feel really comfortable in the moves, which I love.” Unfortunately, she also had to note that he was “off in the musicality” in the beginning.

All four judges gave Richter a 24/40 for the routine.

Robert Irwin — 35/40

For his dedication dance, Robert Irwin paid tribute to his mom, Terri Irwin, who raised him and his sister as a single mother after Steve Irwin‘s death in 2006. Irwin danced a contemporary to “You’ll Be in my Heart” by Phil Collins.

The ballroom (and judges) were in tears after the performance. “You gave us all of your heart and soul. All I can say is this was the true expression of everlasting love,” Tonioli said. Inaba said if she ever had kids, she would’ve liked them to be like Irwin. “You’re so honest and open and you’re just always connecting with the audience. It was really beautiful,” she raved.

Hough fought back tears as he told the Irwins, “The love I have for your family … thank you. I love you, man. I’m so proud of you.” Herjavec also cried as she praised Terri for “raising such great kids.”

With three 9s from Tonioli, Hough, and Johnson, and an 8 from Inaba, Irwin scored a 35/40.

Elaine Hendrix — 30/40

Elaine Hendrix was joined by her longtime best friend and The Parent Trap costar Lisa Ann Walter for a foxtrot to “This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole.

“This was amazing. What a wonderful way to celebrate friendship. You can see the joy,” Inaba said, while also praising Alan Bersten for his choreography. Hough said, “Elaine, you’re an absolute joy to watch!” However, he gave some pointers to Hendrix about her shoulders.

Johnson also got to her feet to give some pointers about Hendrix’s frame. “You always get exactly what it’s at. Ginger Rogers. The aura she had. The way you use the floor. The way you interacted. Pure glamour,” Tonioli added. Side note: Can we bring Walter on as a contestant next season?

Inaba and Tonioli gave the dance an 8, while Hough and Johnson scored it a 7, bringing the total score to 30/40.

Whitney Leavitt — 33/40

For her Dedication Night dance to husband Conner Leavitt, Whitney Leavitt performed a contemporary to “Heal.”

“Dancing is so healing. That was so beautiful getting to watch you share that moment with your husband,” Hough said, while also calling Conner’s dancing impressive. “The storytelling, the choreography, the musicality,” he raved, although he noted Leavitt was a bit “out of sync” during a side-by-side moment with her partner.

“You are so special. You own this floor. When you walk on the floor, we’re in Whitney’s world,” Johnson gushed. Tonioli said he was left “breathless” by the routine. Inaba had tears in her eyes as she told Leavitt how inspiring her dance was. “That was amazing. But you were out of sync. But it was amazing, though,” she confirmed.

Three judges gave the dance 8s, while Inaba scored it a 9, for a total of 33/40.

Jen Affleck — 29/40

Jen Affleck dedicated her Viennese waltz to her mother. They danced to Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue.”

“It was beautiful to see,” Johnson gushed, although she did give Affleck some pointers for her technique in the future. Tonioli said, “There’s nothing like mother’s love, really. You expressed that. So beautiful to see.” He told Affleck she’s “getting better,” but urged her to correct her fluidity in upcoming weeks.

“That was the most passionate dance you’ve performed yet,” Inaba promised. “You really threw yourself into it.” Hough called the routine “graceful and beautiful.” With an 8 from Inaba and 7s from the rest of the judges, Affleck finished with a 29/40.

Dylan Efron — 36/50

Dylan Efron was joined by his half sister, Olivia, for a contemporary to “Rewrite the Stars,” his brother Zac Efron’s song from The Greatest Showman.

“The next greatest showman!” Tonioli raved. “And little Olivia, prima ballerina! Very well-pointed. Fantastic number. How you managed that lift, that is so difficult to do. You never danced before, it’s incredibel. You’re getting better every week.”

Inaba said she “felt that story to the bottom of [her] soul” and that the “message of this performance was incredible.” She said “it was brilliant” and that Efron made her night. Hough joked, “I hate you. You’re a great guy. You’re in shape. You can dance. And you’re a great brother? Come on, man!” He also said, “The way you came down the floor on that first pass, I was like, my guy is a dancer!”

Johnson agreed that Efron is becoming “such a great dancer” over the course of the competition. Efron received all 9s, giving him the highest score of the night.

Jordan Chiles — 32/40

Jordan Chiles dedicated her Vienesse waltz to her dad with a performance of John Mayer’s “Daughters.”

“The reverence that I just witnessed was profound. The respect and love you showed for your daughter in that dance for showing up and pretty much doing the whole dance, was pretty incredible,” Inaba said. “Jordan, you are blossoming into something spectacular.”

Hough told Chiles, “Watching you two dance really made me excited to have my own moment with my own child. It’s so beautiful. There was a tenderness, it was simple, there was a care to it.” The judges noted how much of a “risk” it was to have Chiles and her dad dancing solo for so long, but Johnson said “it paid off.”

“Your musicality improves ever week,” Tonioli added. “Keep going, my darling.” Chiles received 8s from all the judges for a 32/40.

Scott Hoying — 30/40

Scott Hoying performed a foxtrot to his own song “Parallel” as a dedication to his husband. Oh, and they announced that they’re expecting a child together!

“What a beautiful way to just dedicate this to the love of your life. This is beautiful. I saw the effort. I saw the commitment, trying to keep that frame, moving across the floor, doing a traditional foxtrot,” Hough said.

Johnson praised the couple’s “beautiful love” and said she’s seen “improvement” in Hoying’s dancing, while also giving him some tips for future weeks. “It really was a true love foxtrot. We all felt it. I could feel you being so much more at ease with it,” Tonioli told Hyoing, but also noted that the posture was a bit off. “I’m telling you, you’re getting there!” he assured.

Inaba said the dance felt “disjointed,” with moments that “felt like you were getting to the proper hold, proper frame, and then just collapse a little.” With 8s from Hough and Tonioli and 7s from Inaba and Johnson, he earned a total score of 30/40.

Danielle Fishel — 29/40

Danielle Fishel’s Boy Meets World costar Bill Daniels (Mr. Feeny) was the person she dedicated her jive to. Fittingly, her performance was to the Boy Meets World theme song, with several other costars in the audience.

“I think that made everyone’s nostalgic hearts very happy. That was beautiful. You still look like a teenager by the way. There was so much jive content in there,” Johnson said. She called Fishel’s dancing “effortless,” but noted that she could have some more “attack” in her moves.

“You’re a great performer,” Tonioli said, but also told Fishel she needs to sharpen her moves a little bit. “I’m telling you, I absolutely loved it,” he added. Inaba told Fishel, “That was so nostalgic and kind of what we all needed at that moment. I have to say this … some of your dances are starting to feel like I’m watching the same dance over and over again. I know that sounds really critical, but if I don’t give the comments now, she can’t work on this. I want you to have the best chance of success.”

Hough made sure to note that Fishel performed a “proper jive” and called it a “beautiful” routine. The actress earned 7s from Hough, Inaba, and Johnson, as well as her first 8 from Tonioli. A 29/30!

Alix Earle — 35/40

For the final dance of the night, Alix Earle performed a contemporary to “Sparks” by Coldplay for her little sister.

“Talent and love really runs in the family. This routine was so difficult, technically. You made it look so easy. You made it look natural,” Tonioli said. “You were dancing from within with no effort at all.”

Inaba said it was “really beautiful” to watch Earle and her sister dance together. Inaba had a “tiny correction” for Earle to watch her arms on the turns, but said it was an “amazing” routine. “You have such maturity to your movement,” Hough noted.

Johnson said she believes Earle will be the “surprise of this season” and told her to take this newfound confidence with her into the upcoming weeks. With 9s from Tonioli, Johnson, and Hough, and an 8 from Inaba, Earle placed second on the leaderboard with a 35/40.

Dancing With the Stars Week 5 leaderboard

Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach — 36/40
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy — 35/40
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson — 35/40
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas — 33/40
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa — 32/40
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten — 30/40
Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold — 30/40
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik — 29/40
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pahskov — 29/40
Andy Richter and Emma Slater — 24/40

Who went home on Dancing With the Stars 2025 Week 5?

At the end of the night, there was still an elimination moment. The judges scores and viewer votes were combined to determine who would be eliminated. But this week it was … NO ONE! There were no eliminations after dedication night. All of the stars moved on and this week’s scores and votes will go towards next week.

Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+ (Streaming Next Day on Hulu)

For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.