“Dancing With the Stars” Season 34 came to an end on Nov. 25 and while Robert Irwin, Alix Earle, Dylan Efron and Elaine Hendrix competed for the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy, there were some key moments not shown on the broadcast.
Inside the ballroom, emotions were running high with all previously eliminated contestants back and ready to cheer on their friends. But not everyone in the audience was in a supportive mood.
Carrie Ann Inaba was booed multiple times throughout the night, as the only judge who really gave any type of constructive criticism. She was first booed when, after complimenting how far he’s come, she told Dylan his hands fell a little flat. The booing got louder when she said “there was a bit of a …” after Robert’s first dance. She couldn’t really get her comment out, telling the crowd, “I’m sorry, but look. This trophy is what they’re competing for tonight, and I don’t want to give it to anybody that doesn’t absolutely deserve it.”
Jordan closed out the first round with a paso doble, and afterward, Carrie Ann said her “attack was a little too strong,” adding that “the beginning felt like it didn’t quite come together.”
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The audience booed so loudly, and one audience member yelled, “She’s a queen” about Jordan — a comment Carrie Ann couldn’t hear and asked, “What did you say?” Alfonso Ribeiro then de-escalated the situation, telling the judge, “Don’t worry about them.”
The Olympian then stuck up for the judge, explaining to Julianne Hough, “I have to give credit to Carrie Ann, because as a woman, it is hard to really express who you are and what you’re doing. So Carrie Ann, keep doing what you’re doing. I will always stand by you. You make me feel so much better about myself.”
During the commercial break, the show’s crowd director got on the microphone to remind the audience that while booing and cheering are okay, being “respectful” is a must.
However, most of the night was filled with joy. During one commercial break, Danielle Fishel was spotted bringing a stuffed unicorn to Dylan’s sister, Olivia. The backstory is even cuter: last week, Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov’s daughter took Olivia’s stuffed unicorn. Olivia didn’t say anything about it, but Danielle went out and found the exact one at Target to surprise her with it.
As the show wound down, the cast, troupe members and crew — who are usually in the skybox or backstage while the results are being read, all gathered behind the cameras, ready to flood the dance floors once the winner was revealed.
Shortly after Robert and Witney were crowned winners, Xochitl Gomez ran out onto the ballroom floor to hug them both alongside their families. Meanwhile, Alfonso and Witney shared a sweet hug — it was the 11-year anniversary of her first win, with him as her partner — and exchanged “I love yous.”