‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34 Predictions: Our Week 9 Power Rankings
It’s getting down to the wire on Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars! After last week’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night and Danielle Fishel‘s elimination, only seven contestants are left vying for the Mirrorball Trophy. They’ll all hit the dance floor again during the 20th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, November 11.
This week, all of the couples will dance a new style to a song from some of the most iconic freestyle dances the show has seen over the years. Then, six of the seven stars will hit the dance floor in a relay competition, where they’ll be joined by past Mirrorball champions (Whitney Leavitt is excused from this round, due to having the highest Round 1 scores last week, and she’ll automatically receive two points as a bonus).
Andy Richter has continually benefited from the fan vote this season, while Leavitt, Alix Earle, and Robert Irwin tend to score toward the top of the leaderboard each week. Jordan Chiles, Dylan Efron, and Elaine Hendrix often find themselves more in the middle of the pack, but are all extremely hard workers who have had some impressive routines. Truly anything could happen!
Judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli have started giving out 10s in recent weeks, and with the finale just three weeks away, there’s lot of pressure to get those top scores. This week, they’ll be joined by Tom Bergeron as a guest judge.
Scroll down for our predictions about where we think the pairs stand ahead of Week 9! Hop into the comments section below to let us know if you agree with our picks!
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.
1. Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas
Whitney Leavitt has continued to prove herself as a top contender each week. After receiving the highest scores for last week’s individual dance round, she earned immunity from the dance relay and an automatic two extra points on her score this week.
For this week’s individual round, she’ll be dancing the Argentine tango, and with her precise and sharp movements, it should be right up her alley.
2. Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy
Alix Earle is peaking at just the right time. Her last two dances have been incredible, and she’s shown great improvement and confidence in the past few weeks.
Of course, Earle will have to continue making a name for herself with the audience, but she’s come a long way since Week 1.
3. Robert Irwin & Witney Carson
You just can’t deny the love for Robert Irwin! And it’s for good reason. Not only is he super likable, but he’s also proven that he has skills as a dancer and performer.
Clearly, Irwin is one of the biggest fan-favorites this season, but going up against dancers like Earle and Leavitt won’t be easy, so he’ll really have to bring it and show his gentler side with this week’s foxtrot.
4. Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach
Dylan Efron is undoubtedly the most improved in this competition, and I think he still has some legs in this thing. As a viewer, you just can’t help but swoon over him because of his hard work ethic (and undeniable good looks).
Efron moves up and down on the leaderboard, but we have seen him top it before, and I simply don’t think it’s his time to go just yet.
5. Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa
Jordan Chiles has been a bit inconsistent on the scoreboard. However, this week’s cha-cha-cha should be right up her alley, so it’ll provide another opportunity to show what she’s got, and I don’t think it’s her time to go just yet.
6. Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten
Elaine Hendrix had a major comeback last week after recovering from a rib injury that kept her off the dance floor on Halloween night. This week, she’ll be dancing a salsa, though, which will likely be a lot harder on her body than last week’s Viennese waltz.
Hendrix has proven time and time again that age is just a number with her impressive skills on the dance floor, and she’s really had the fans rallying behind her this season.
7. Andy Richter & Emma Slater
Viewer votes have saved Andy Richter from basically all the eliminations of the season so far, as he’s continuously scored at the bottom of the leaderboard. It’s no secret that he’s won over the fans over the past nine weeks.
But Richter is still clearly very far behind the rest of the contestants when it comes to dancing, so we’ll have to see if he has enough momentum from the viewers to make it through another week.
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