Dancing With the Stars viewers were on edge on Tuesday night (November 19) as the remaining five couples battled for a spot in next week’s season finale. However, it turned out there was no reason to worry.
Tuesday’s episode saw two dances from each remaining couple, including Chandler Kinney & Brandon Armstrong, Joey Graziadei & Jenna Johnson, Stephen Nedoroscik & Rylee Arnold, Danny Amendola & Witney Carson, and Ilona Maher & Alan Bersten.
It was a big night for Pretty Little Liars alum Kinney and Bachelor star Graziadei, as they both showed why they were frontrunners with near-flawless performances. Both dancers earned cumulative scores of 58.
Rugby pro Maher wasn’t far behind, with a cumulative score of 57. Meanwhile, gymnast Nedoroscik and football star Amendola fell to the back of the pack. Amendola finished with a cumulative score of 54, while Nedoroscik and his partner landed at the bottom of the leaderboard with 53.
At the end of the night, the five couples were gathered on the dance floor to find out who was moving onto the finale and which of them were heading home. Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough played up the tension, only to reveal that there would be no elimination and that each couple would be returning for the grand final.
This marked only the second time in DWTS history that there was no elimination in the penultimate episode. The winner will be announced in a three-hour finale airing Tuesday, November 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Fans took to social media to share their reactions to the non-elimination, with one viewer writing, “That was DIABOLICAL of them to be playing with our feelings like this! Tonight’s elimination was heart attack inducing!”
“THEM TORTURING ME THROUGH AN ELIMINATION LIKE THAT AGAIN?! GAH,” said another.
“NO ELIMINATION OMFG,” wrote one fan.
“I genuinely like this final 5, so I’m perfectly fine with them reaching the finale and there being no elimination. May the best person win,” another user commented.
“That was cruel to put them through that fake elimination,” one person added.
Others were more confident, with one viewer tweeting, “Not even scared for this elimination bc I alr know everyone is going to advance.”
“Alfonso & Julianne aren’t slick! Them laying it on this thick when most of us know the finale next week is 3 hours and therefore no elimination,” said another.
Another added, “Oh cmon!!!! Why are they doing no elimination again easily someone could have gone home this week.”
What did you think of Tuesday’s non-elimination episode? Who do you think will win the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Dancing With the Stars, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC