Whitney Leavitt Leaves DWTS, Dancing with the Stars, in Semifinal Despite High Scores; see the five finalists

The Dancing with the Stars semifinal, shown on the night of November 18, 2025, eliminated the duo Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas. The episode honored the singer Prince with two performances per couple and ended with only five couples qualifying for the final. Robert Irwin and Witney Carson led the overall ranking with 59 points out of a possible 60.

The night marked week 10 of the season and brought choreography in different styles, all with songs by the North American artist. Os judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli evaluated the live performances. The elimination occurred shortly after the sum of the scores and the public votes.

Prince’s Performances of the Night

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson opened the round with a jive on “Baby I’m a Star” and received full marks. Na second dance, a Viennese waltz in “WOW”, the pair won 29 points and finished in the lead. The performance consolidated the Australian duo as favorites for the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy.

Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy achieved 58 points in total. Eles danced Argentine tango in “Little Red Corvette” and Viennese waltz in “Purple Rain”, with a perfect score in the second choreography.

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, considered strong competitors, obtained 58 points. The duo performed cha cha in “1999” and Viennese waltz in “Slow Love”, both with 29 points each.

Elimination surprises participants and public

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas left the competition despite good technical performance. The decision combined judges’ scores with popular voting carried out during the broadcast. When Ao left, Leavitt declared that she already felt like a winner and that the experience transformed her life.

Mark Ballas stated that he experienced the best moments of his career on the program. The duo’s departure generated immediate reactions on social media from fans. Os presenters Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough conducted the announcement live.

Couples classified for the grand final

Five pairs secured a place in the decision scheduled for November 25th.

• Robert Irwin and Witney Carson – 59 points
• Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy – 58 points
• Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten – 57 points
• Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa – 57 points
• Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach – 55 points

Individual semi-final highlights

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten achieved full marks in the paso doble in “When Doves Cry”. Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa also reached 30 points in Argentine tango in “U Got the Look”. Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach were in last position in the technical ranking with 55 points.

The final will take place next Tuesday and will define the champion of the 2025 season. The Len Goodman trophy will be awarded to the winning couple at the end of the presentations.

Ranking accumulated before the final

Robert Irwin maintains the best overall score of the theme night. The difference of just four points separates the leader from the last placed among the finalists. The public vote will be decisive next week.