The excitement in the Dancing With The Stars ballroom reached its highest level yet on Monday, Oct. 24, as week six highlighted the music of Michael Bublé. Besides the remaining 10 couples dancing to Bublé’s extensive discography, the four-time Grammy award-winning singer was in the ballroom not only as a performer but as this season’s first guest judge! This definitely shook things up – especially since couples now had the chance to earn 50 points instead of the usual 40. Monday night’s scores had a 15-point gap between the lowest to highest couples, with scores ranging from 36 to 50.
The show opened with Michael Bublé singing “Sway,” originally recorded by Dean Martin in 1954. The DWTS female pros and troupe dancers accompanied Bublé for the opening performance.
Drag Queen star Shangela and her partner Gleb Savchenko were first on the dance floor with a Tango to “Hollywood.” Shangela earned her first straight 9s for her performance. Shangela also took head judge Len Goodman’s constructive criticism last week for “crispier legs” to heart; she delivered that, literally and figuratively. After her performance, Shangela served the judging panel her mother’s homemade crispy chicken legs – a treat she had tucked away in her ball gown’s bustier!
Actor Trevor Donovan and last week’s DWTS Prom Queen, Jessie James Decker, both earned their first 9s of the season on Monday night. Trevor and his partner Emma Slater danced a Foxtrot to “Come Fly With Me.” The routine earned him not one, but two 9s and three 8s, giving him a 42 out of 50. Jessie and her partner Alan Bersten danced a Salsa to “Come Dance With Me,” a routine that earned her four 8s and only one 9 from none other than guest judge Bublé. Jessie’s Salsa earned her a total of 41 out of 50.
Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy performed a sultry Rumba to the song “Home,” however the routine didn’t originally come naturally to Gabby. Leaving nothing to chance, Val called in a reinforcement – DWTS alum (and Val’s wife) Jenna Johnson, who also choreographed the opening number of Monday’s show, coached Gabby on how to embrace the passion needed for her routine.
“Jenna helped me a ton today, and getting her permission to be passionate with Val helped me show a different side of myself,” The Bachelorette star said in her pre-taped package. The lesson worked – the couple earned the first 10 of the night from judge Bruno Tonioli, contributing to the couple’s 46 points.
Tens continued to trend Monday evening. TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and her partner Mark Ballas’ Foxtrot set to “Fever” not only earned the first 10 of the night from guest judge Bublé, but they also earned the only perfect score of the night. After being in the bottom two during last week’s elimination, Charli’s mom, Heidi D’Amelio and her partner Artem Chigvintsev made a comeback this week with their Samba to “It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera).” The couple also earned a 10 on Monday from Bublé – their first 10 this season – earning them a 46 out of 50.
Television personality Wayne Brady revealed he was “under the weather” up until Friday night, giving him and his partner Witney Carson only two days to learn and perfect their number. The setback impacted the couple’s score of 44 out of 50, but they still earned themselves a 10 from Bublé.
Following singer Jordin Sparks and her partner Brandon Armstrong’s Foxtrot to “You Make Me Feel So Young” which earned them a 43 out of 50, it was Bublé’s turn to take the stage. The singer performed his new song “Higher,” accompanied by a flawless routine choreographed by judge and DWTS veteran Derek Hough. The dance starred Derek, his fiancée Hayley Erbert, and the pro dancers.
As the competition heats up and fewer couples remain, the eliminations are getting tense. This week Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and his partner Koko Iwasaki once again found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard with a 36 out of 50. With the support of his fans’ votes, however, just like last week, Vinny was spared being sent to the elimination round, instead sending Trevor and Emma and Jessie and Alan to face the consequences. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli voted to save Trevor and Emma, while Derek Hough voted to save Jessie and Alan. Head judge Len Goodman voted to save Trevor and Emma, ultimately sending Jessie and Alan home.
Week seven, which premieres tonight, Monday, Oct. 31, will be Halloween Night! Team dances will also return next week for the first time since 2019. We can’t imagine a better Halloween treat than watching the nine remaining couples embrace what the haunted-themed ballroom has in store for them!