Dancing With The Stars Week 3 Ends With Shocking Elimination

Taylor Hanson’s Dancing With the Stars journey came to an unexpected end Tuesday night, as the singer and Britt Stewart were eliminated during Season 35’s Yacht Rock Night.

The result stunned the live audience and sparked an immediate reaction online, particularly because Hanson had built a strong following throughout the competition while another couple with lower judges’ scores once again survived.

13 Couples Take The Stage For Yacht Rock Night

Week 3 began with 13 remaining couples competing for another chance to stay in the competition.

For Yacht Rock Night, the celebrities and their professional partners performed Latin-style dances set to soft-rock favorites.

The evening’s performances included:

• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov — Foxtrot to Toto’s “Hold the Line”
• Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart — Foxtrot to The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes”
• Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson — Jive to Daryl Hall & John Oates’ “You Make My Dreams (Come True)”
• Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson — Foxtrot to Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”
• Jackson Olson and Emma Slater — Paso Doble to Philip Bailey and Phil Collins’ “Easy Lover”
• Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik — Quickstep to Daryl Hall & John Oates’ “Maneater”
• Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach — Foxtrot to Grover Washington Jr. featuring Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us”
• Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess — Jive to Orleans’ “Still the One”
• Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold — Foxtrot to Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere”
• Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas — Quickstep to George Benson’s “Turn Your Love Around”
• Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong — Cha Cha to Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much”
• Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa — Salsa to Daryl Hall & John Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”
• Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy — Samba to Toto’s “Africa”

The stakes were particularly high after Giada DeLaurentiis and Alan Bersten were eliminated the previous week. As the competition has shown, the judges’ leaderboard does not necessarily determine who goes home, with viewer votes playing a major role in the outcome.

Taylor Hanson And Britt Stewart Are Eliminated

After the judges’ scores were tallied, Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, and Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas occupied the top three spots.

At the other end of the leaderboard were Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart, and Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess.

Once viewer votes were added, three couples were placed in danger:

• Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson
• Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart
• Jackson Olson and Emma Slater

Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro then delivered the result — and the couple leaving the competition was Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart.

The announcement prompted an audible gasp from the studio audience.

Hanson, the lead singer of Hanson, the band behind the hit “MMMBop,” had been a fan favorite from the beginning and had received significant support from viewers online.

His elimination was particularly notable because Guillermo Rodriguez survived once again despite receiving the lowest judges’ scores each week, highlighting the influence of his fan base.

Taylor Hanson Reflects On His DWTS Journey

Following the elimination, Hanson looked back on his time in the competition and expressed his gratitude for working with Stewart.

“This has been everything. This has been incredible. [Britt] has shown me things I didn’t think were possible, and I’m so grateful for this time,” he said.

Hanson and Stewart’s final dance marked the end of their run after three weeks of competition.

Fans Question The Result

The elimination immediately divided viewers on social media, with many expressing disbelief that Hanson and Stewart had been sent home.

One frustrated viewer questioned the voting process, arguing that stronger dancers were being eliminated while another contestant continued to survive.

Another fan referenced Hanson’s signature hit, writing on X: “They took out the MMMBop, I don’t accept this, oh Dancing with the Stars, step up your game.”

Facebook reactions were similarly emotional, with viewers writing, “I can’t believe Brit and Taylor went home, not okay!!!” and “This is absurd! The wrong dancer went home.”

With Hanson and Stewart now out of the competition, 12 couples remain heading into the next episode.

The competition continues Tuesday, October 6, when Dancing With the Stars celebrates Mariah Carey Night on ABC.