Originally appeared on E! Online
Talk about a jump-scare.
And not just because Dancing With the Stars‘ Oct. 27 episode’s theme was Horror Movie Night. One week after all the celebrity contestants were marked safe during the emotional Dedication Night, the ABC competition axed not one but two couples.
Indeed, after seven weeks of competing, Savannah Bananas baseball player Jackson Olson and his pro partner Emma Slater—who achieved a season-high score of 35 out of 40 for their contemporary dance during the episode—and Bachelor Nation alum Tyler Cameron and his pro partner Sharna Burgess were cut from the show after receiving the lowest combined judges and audience scores over the course of the past two weeks.
“I wanted to be on this [show] since last year, and I made a bunch of videos about it,” Olson said after his elimination. “I got on it, and I got the most amazing partner in Emma. So, this journey has been amazing.”
And while Cameron felt that his time in the competition had been “incredible,” he lamented his performance of the Viennese Waltz earlier in the night, which received a total score of 26 out of 40.
“You saw me upset up there,” he shared, before turning his attention to Burgess. “I was disappointed in myself because I felt like I let her down.”
Still, Cameron emphasized that his partner had been “so good” to him. As he put it, “She has given me so much, and I have a special woman in my life now.”
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Beyond the haunting(ly beautiful) routines throughout the night—presided over by guest judge Shirley Ballas—eyes were definitely on Val Chmerkovskiy, who made his return to the ballroom alongside partner Jenna Dewan after his one-week suspension. The couple took the stage with an Argentine tango to “Uninvited” by Damned Anthem and Kendra Dantes in a tribute to zombie films.
Chmerkovskiy was benched for the Oct. 20 episode—with Alan Bersten stepping in to dance with Dewan—over comments alluding to Will Smith‘s infamous 2022 Oscars slap when addressing judge Carrie Ann Inaba‘s critique of his wife Jenna Johnson.
The 40-year-old later apologized, which he also did during the night’s pre-performance package. For her part, Dewan responded with grace, telling Chmerkovskiy, “I forgive you. I missed you.”
Earlier in the week, Inaba shared that she and Johnson “hugged it out” after the tense moment during the Oct. 13 Super Bowl Night episode, when the judge called out a lift in Johnson and partner Harry Shum Jr.‘s dance that she said wasn’t allowed.
Eric McCandless/Disney; Christopher Willard/Disney
“I have not spoken about what happened because of professional courtesy for those who are still competing, and we actually have standards and practices that keep us separated,” Inaba explained in an Oct. 25 Instagram comment. “But I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened.”
As she put it, “It’s important for everyone to know that Jenna and I hugged it out after the Super Bowl show. Jenna was an absolute professional about it, and two women worked through the moment.”
That said, Inaba emphasized that the show would be reviewing the show’s lift rule, possibly making changes that are more in line with how the show has evolved over the years.
“Working together to create a better understanding between the dancers and the judges and our audience is important to me,” she added, “as we move forward and is something I have asked for.”
Beyond the peek behind the curtain that Inaba gave fans, read on to learn other secrets about Dancing With the Stars.
How Much Do the Celebrities Get Paid to Be on Dancing With the Stars?
Citing multiple sources, Variety reported in 2019 that Dancing With the Stars contestants make $125,000 for the rehearsal period and first two weeks of the show. If they progress beyond that point, the outlet continued, they earn more money each week. At the time, sources told the publication stars could earn a maximum of $295,000.
However, Bobby Bones said he made more than this when he won season 27 with Sharna Burgess in 2018.
“That show pays OK,” the radio personality said on a Sept. 2025 episode of Jason Tartick‘s podcast Trading Secrets. “Like, first episode, no money. Second episode, $10,000. I think it’s like, $10,000, $10,000, $20,000, $20,000. It ends up being $50,000 an episode if you last.”
Also receiving a base salary of around $110,000, Bones continued, “I ended up making close to $400,000 from that show.”
ABC has not publicly confirmed any of these figures.
What Do the Pros Get Paid on Dancing With the Stars?
Similarly, little has been shared publicly about how much the pros get paid. But as with the contestants, it seems like the longer they’re on the show, the more money they can make.
But even if a pro is eliminated in the first round, they’re not leaving the ballroom empty-handed.
“You’re guaranteed until a certain amount of weeks,” Jenna Johnson said on a June 2025 episode of Kelly Stafford and HankWinchester‘s podcast The Morning After. “I think there’s different contracts though. I can’t speak for everybody.”
Do Pros Get Paid More If They Win Dancing With the Stars?
Apparently not.
WhileJohnson—who won season 26 with Olympic figure skater AdamRippon, as well as season 33 with The Bachelor‘s Joey Graziadei—says the pros don’t get a larger paycheck if they take home what is now called the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, she noted there’s still an incentive to make it to the finale (besides bragging rights, of course).
“If you make it all the way to the end, you’re getting paid the whole season, which is amazing, and you get a bonus on top of that for making it to the finale,” she explained on The Morning After. “If you win, it’s not like you win a $1 million and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”
Do the Troupe Members Get Paid as Much as the Pros on Dancing With the Stars?
That doesn’t appear to be the case.
On a 2022 episode of Trading Secrets, Lindsay Arnold recalled how her salary was cut “more than in half” when she was demoted from pro to troupe member.
How Are Pros and Celebrities Paired Together on Dancing With the Stars?
The pros get little input when it comes to being matched with a celebrity.
“You get no say,” Lindsay said on a May 2025 episode of Maggie Sellers‘ Hot Smart Rich podcast. “It’s very much just, ‘Here’s your partner. Make it work.'”
In fact, Jenna said the pairing is often a secret until the last minute.
“They really want to keep it a secret until you meet them live,” Jenna said on The Morning After. “They want that genuine reaction. So I think people always think we know who we have and we’re keeping it a secret. Absolutely not. They do not tell us. They really don’t even want us to know the cast. It gets leaked a lot, but they want it very hush-hush until you walk in and meet your partner.”
As for what the Dancing With the Stars team looks for when making these matches?
“It’s based on height, build and personality and compatibility,” former showrunner Rob Wadetold E! News in 2015. “We don’t pair people who aren’t going to get on. It’s too intense. It’s not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn’t do that. That would just be miserable experience for the celebrity, for us and the viewer. You don’t want to see two people who don’t like each other and, quite frankly, we have made that mistake pairing people up who didn’t get on so well.”
How Often Do the Pros and Celebrities Practice on Dancing With the Stars?
Put simply, a lot.
“Every day we have four-hour rehearsals,” Rylee Arnold, who was partnered with Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik on season 33, shared on a September 2024 episode of the Lightweights PodcastWith Joe Vulpis. “It’s either 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m.”
But the work doesn’t stop once the rehearsal wraps. Rylee noted she might then meet with producers or the creative team, work on choreography or study dance videos.
“Literally my whole life is devoted to it,” she continued, “but it’s my passion and it’s what I love. So, it makes me so happy.”
Indeed, it’s a no-days-off kind of gig.
“We have our show day on Tuesday and then it’s Wednesday to Sunday, straight rehearsals,” Rylee added. “And then Monday we have camera blocking and then Tuesday’s show day again.”
Do the Pros Get to Pick the Songs Each Week for Their Dance With Their Celebrity Partner?
“Mostly yes,” Emma Slater and Britt Stewart revealed in a September 2025 Instagram video, “though it’s a collaboration with producers.”
What’s the Process Like for Making the Costumes for Dancing With the Stars?
If you thought the quickstep was fast, just wait until you hear about the pace of the costume department.
“We meet with the set and lighting designers, dancers and talent and create a story [for each pair],” costume designer Daniela Gschwendtner told TV Insider back in 2017. “Then we sketch out ideas. We have five days, max, to make all the outfits. That’s half a day per costume, not including all the rhinestones. The fitting and trimming we do later. We have about 20 people in our department and then we have a separate tailor shop. It’s a big enterprise.”
In fact, costume designer Steven Norman Lee said pairs usually try on their costumes for the first time just hours before showtime. And while the department “might use a pair of pants again for the boys,” he continued, everything is generally made custom each week.
As Gschwendtner added, “We do reuse things for group numbers or promo shoots, but not for the competition. We don’t reuse things unless there’s a specific reason to do so. We try to keep everybody fresh and new in something different every week, so it stays interesting.”
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