Taylor Hanson Exits ‘Dancing With the Stars’ After Yacht Rock Night

Taylor Hanson and professional partner Britt Stewart have left Dancing With the Stars after a result that caught the ballroom off guard. The pair were eliminated at the end of Tuesday’s Yacht Rock Night, narrowing the Season 35 field to 12 couples.

A respectable score was not enough

Hanson and Stewart performed a foxtrot to the Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes.” Judges awarded the routine 18 points out of 30, placing them in a crowded lower section of the leaderboard alongside Ciara Miller and Jackson Olson. The score kept them above several couples, but the competition combines judges’ totals with viewer votes.

The result made the exit feel more surprising than a straightforward last-place finish. Stewart apologized to Hanson as their names were announced, while both expressed gratitude for their time together. Hanson had shown flashes of musicality across the opening weeks, but the foxtrot drew criticism for tension and abbreviated movement despite several graceful passages.

Two couples topped the night

Olympian Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov earned 24 points for their foxtrot to Toto’s “Hold the Line,” the season’s first trio of eights. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson matched that total with a jive to Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True.” Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas followed with 22 points for their quickstep.

The remaining cast includes Tatyana Ali, Tyler Cameron, Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech, Glenn, Higgins, Miller, Olson, Guillermo Rodriguez, Shum, Julia Stiles and Connor Wood. Their scores ranged from 15 to 24 during a night built around soft-rock standards by Fleetwood Mac, Luther Vandross, Toto and other yacht-rock staples.

Season 35 moves to Mariah Carey

Next week’s episode will shift from yacht rock to the catalog of Mariah Carey. That theme gives the surviving couples another chance to separate themselves as the middle of the leaderboard grows tighter and viewer support becomes increasingly decisive.

Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available the following day on Hulu.