Dancing with the Stars Season 34 Kickoff: Judges' Scoring Causes Uproar!

X Facebook Pinterest WhatsApp

The Season 34 opener of Dancing With the Stars did not feature any eliminations, but that didn’t mean it was devoid of drama, including some tough critiques from the judges.

In the initial episode of the 2025 season, judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli handed out scores that might come as a surprise to the show’s long-time followers, notably lower than what is typically expected in the first week.

Hough had previously cautioned the stars and their professional dance partners that scoring would be stringent. “Tonight’s scores may be lower than you anticipate because we’re looking at the long haul,” he said. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and we want to allow space for growth.”

With their fellow judge Carrie Ann Inaba absent due to illness, Hough and Tonioli were left to helm the judging panel alone. It’s possible the scoring might have differed had Inaba been present, but as it stood, the scores were notably lower than in previous opening weeks.

Starting the night, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and professional partner Ezra Sosa delivered a dynamic salsa to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” earning a combined score of 10 from the two judges.

Similarly, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, performing a cha-cha to Kelis’s “Milkshake,” also received a total score of 10 out of 20.

“There’s a lot of chatter and disagreement among the audience right now,” co-host Alfonso Ribeiro remarked following Efron’s performance. “They’re quite upset with these scores already.”

Read on for more detailed recaps of the evening’s performances and scores.