Check Out the Shocking Dancing With the Stars Semi-final

After 31 seasons of Dancing With the Stars, fans thought they’d seen it all. After last night’s semi-finals, viewers are gearing up for a tight race to the mirrorball and preparing for the goodbye of a DWTS legend. Check out who shined and who was shown the door in the cutthroat double elimination.

Unlike the past eight weeks, there was no theme to the night. Each couple performed two dances: one Ballroom and one Latin style that the contestants still haven’t performed.

Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas were the first to receive a perfect score for her Vienesse Waltz to “Glimpse of Us.” The piece sent DWTS Twitter into a frenzy, debating whether she has claimed the title of “Best Female Contestant.” While that has yet to be determined, the judges were in awe, and specifically, judge Carrie Ann Inaba was brought to tears by D’Amelio’s vulnerability and improvement.

someone check my pulse after that viennese waltz bcuz CHARLI AND MARK JUST ATE SO HARDDDDDD SO GOOD #dwts #dwts31 pic.twitter.com/JGXeeRqUHE

— Caitlin N (@NorbuttCaitlin) November 15, 2022

CODA star Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart performed a Vienesse Waltz to “Surprise Yourself” by Jack Garratt. Judge Bruno Tonioli mentioned how Durant looked “like Prince Charming,” but there were still some technical mistakes leading the pair to receive a 35 out of 40. 

Actor Wayne Brady and Drag Queen Shangela performed Paso Dobles in their first round. The judges loved both pieces and praised the couples for their high energy. However, they did point out that they missed some steps, keeping them both from perfect scores and instead earning both teams a 36 out of 40.

Landing at the bottom of the leaderboard, not by much, was 90210 star Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater. Slater mentioned that she had been eliminated after performing a Cha Cha for the past few seasons. Unfortunately, this one was not Donovan’s best. While clean, Goodman stated that his footwork was “hit or miss,” earning the couple a 32. 

Bachelorette star Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy performed a Waltz to “I’m Kissing You” by Des’ree. The pair also received a perfect score after judge Bruno Tonioli mentioned that Windey looked like “she just stepped out of a dream.” 

Before the second round, judge Len Goodman shook the ballroom after announcing that this would be his last season. He stated, “I’ve been on the show since it started in 2005. It has been a huge pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful show. But I’ve decided I want to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in Britain.” 

Len Goodman announcing he’s leaving dancing with the stars… im not ok #dwts pic.twitter.com/L0c8ksIQMH

— natalie (@nat_large) November 15, 2022

After receiving a standing ovation from the audience and pros, it was time to start the second round.

Wayne Brady and Witney Carson dedicated his Vienesse Waltz to his grandmother, who passed from dementia this year. Their piece to “A Man’s World” told a powerful story but lacked some crucial technical elements earning the couple a 37 out of 40. 

Daniel Durant took the floor again to perform the hardest Latin dance, the Samba. The judges commended him on his ability to keep up with the music changes and how he took an obstacle and turned it into an opportunity. They still received a 34 out of 40. 

Next was Charli D’Amelio, who once again stunned the crowd with her powerful Paso Doble to the ballroom song “España Cañí.” After her performance, she mentioned that she took a spill during dress rehearsal and was nervous about performing, but the judges definitely couldn’t tell, getting the couple another perfect score.

Shangela had the challenge of taming her energetic personality with a Vienesse Waltz to Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” The viewers found it elegant and breathtaking, everything a good VW should be, which led the couple to earn a 37 out of 40.

After landing at the bottom in the first round, Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater performed their Vienesse Waltz. Donovan dedicated it to his partner, Slater, for all of the work she’s done for him. Once again, it wasn’t his best, and despite the 33 scores, the couple was proud of how far they’d come. 

It was the battle of the Pasos with Gabby Windey shortly following D’Amelio. Once again, the judges were overly impressed with the couple’s passion, technique, and expression, making it a no-brainer to give the pair a perfect score. 

In the end, the judges said goodbye to Trevor Donovan in the automatic elimination. Then, Daniel Durant in the bottom two judges save. This leaves Charli D’Amelio, Gabby Windey, Shangela, and Wayne Brady in the finale, where one will be crowned the new Dancing With the Stars champion.

Catch the Dancing With the Stars season finale on Monday, 8:00 P.M. live only on Disney+.