With its dazzling routines and shock eliminations, season 34 of Dancing with the Stars has proven to be the show’s most successful iteration yet.
The beloved ABC dance competition has continued to break viewership and fan voting records, according to data from Nielsen, with nearly six million viewers tuning in to watch last week’s episode.
Then, the remaining cast performed emotional routines honoring their family, friends and loved ones, but it was fan-favorite Dylan Efron and pro Daniella Karagach who came out on top of the leaderboard.
Their heartwarming dance number – featuring Dylan’s five-year-old sister Olivia – earned a total score of 36 out of 40 from the judges.
The 33-year-old heartthrob’s high score appeared to puzzle some viewers, however, with some going so dar as to declare that Dylan ‘sucks’ and he didn’t deserve to receive all nines from the judges.
Indeed, some believe judges Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba have been scoring contestants unfairly this season, despite standout performances from celebrities like Whitney Leavitt and Robert Irwin.
An inside source has exclusively told the Daily Mail that Dylan Efron (right) has been tapped to take part in the annual Dancing with the Stars tour
And now it seems such speculation from fans may not be so farfetched after all, for the Daily Mail has learned that producers at DWTS may be rooting for Dylan to get to the final round of competition.
Aside from the 33-year-old TV personality, there are just nine celebrities remaining on DWTS: Jordan Chiles, Danielle Fishel, Andy Richter, Robert Irwin, Elaine Hendrix, Alix Earle, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck and Scott Hoying.
Actor Corey Feldman was one of the first to be eliminated from the competition in week two alongside NBA star Baron Davis, followed by Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui in week three and Hilaria Baldwin in week four.
Traitors US star Dylan and his pro partner Daniella are among the top couples posed to make it to the season 34 finale.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney, 32, and her partner Mark Ballas have also emerged as early frontrunners this season, becoming the highest-scoring couple over the last four weeks of competition.
Meanwhile, wildlife conservationist Robert, 21, and his partner Whitney Carson warmed hearts with their emotional performance to Phil Collins’s ‘You’ll Be in My Heart,’ which earned Robert his first three nines of the season.
Behind the scenes, however, executives at DWTS allegedly have a vested interest in Traitors winner Dylan, above all others, making it to the final – since he’s already been tapped to lead the show’s annual touring cast for 2026 alongside pro Emma Slater.
Dylan, 33, dedicated Tuesday night’s performance to both his and Zac Efron’s younger half-sister Olivia
The Traitors US star and his dancing pro partner Daniella Karagach are among the ‘top contenders’ on season 34 of DWTS, according to sources
Dylan and Daniella received the highest score of the night, with a total score of 36 out of 40
‘It appears that Dylan is either co-hosting the tour with Emma or he is a big part of the tour in general,’ one inside source exclusively told the Daily Mail.
Following Tuesday’s episode, one fan took to Reddit to blast Dylan’s performance and question his high score from the judges.
‘For Dylan to get a higher score than Whitney or Robert is shocking,’ the Reddit user wrote. ‘They are superior dancers and for the judges to continue to push him forward in success is crazy.’
In the comments section, another user said, ‘Every single week he is overscored and I just don’t get it. He was better this week but not nine’s better. Robert’s dance was far superior to his.’
A third person in the comments claimed ‘the producers are tilting the scale’ in favor of Dylan.
Still, several users defended Dylan by declaring his dance routine as ‘phenomenal’ and ‘definitely his best yet’.
‘Dylan doesn’t suck. That is so unfair,’ another user wrote in response. ‘The problem is the scoring, not the dancing.’
Indeed, many fans have taken up issue with the scoring on this season of DWTS.
Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin (left) and his partner Whitney Carson (right) warmed hearts with their emotional performance to Phil Collins’s ‘You’ll Be in My Heart’
Robert, the son of the late ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, dedicated his performance to his mom Terri Irwin
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt (center right) and her partner Mark Ballas (far right) have been the highest-scoring couple over the last four weeks of DWTS
After each performance, the judges award a couple a score out of 10 for a combined score of 30 points, but that maximum score can be higher depending on guest judges.
On elimination nights, the scores of each couple are calculated by combining the judges’ scores and the votes from viewers. The couple with the lowest combined score is sent home.
Six weeks into the competition, however, no couple has yet to receive a perfect 10 – and judges Derek, Bruno and Carrie Ann have faced backlash from fans over their tough scoring.
A second insider explained to the Daily Mail that the judges have been hesitant to hand out such high scores because this season’s competition is tougher than ever before.
‘Each week, the judges are more harsh than the previous week because the competition is heating up and it really is tough this season with some strong contestants,’ the second source said.
‘Everyone thinks they should get higher scores but that’s why they rely so much on fan votes,’ they continued.
‘The voting is what’s going to get them to the finale and that’s what people tend to forget; they think it’s all about the judges, when really the judges are just as shocked when someone goes home.’
Pictured, from left: Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli have received criticism from fans who believe their scoring is too strict
A second insider told the Daily Mail the judges have been hesitant to hand out high scores because ‘the competition is heating up’
While the insider acknowledged that Dylan, Whitney and Robert are all ‘top contenders’ this season, they still maintained that ‘the show is fair and there are no tricks to keeping someone until the end.’
‘It’s truly about their dancing and viewer votes,’ they added.
Despite this season’s record-breaking viewership, the show’s professional dancers allegedly complained about pay cuts and unfair salaries behind the scenes.
In a previous report from the Daily Mail, multiple insiders explained that DWTS pros took a ‘massive pay cut’ when the series moved to streaming exclusively on Disney+ in 2022.
Although it’s understood ‘the money is better’ now that DWTS has returned to ABC, there is still ‘a competition between the dance pros about who earns what,’ the insider said at the time.
And fans aren’t the only ones complaining about the judges’ low scores.
The Daily Mail also reported that some cast members are ‘being more vocal’ over this season’s particularly low scoring from the judges.
‘The dancers are being more vocal about the voting because they’re showing their true emotions,’ another source said at the time.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba recently addressed criticism on Instagram, where she told fans it is ‘okay to disagree about what we see’
‘It’s frustrating because the dancers work so hard that they expect 8s, 9s or 10s,’ they said. ‘When they get 6s or 7s, it’s a big bummer and they’re going to express that – they’re not holding back.’
Following backlash from fans over low scores, Carrie Ann addressed the criticism in the comments section of her Instagram post shared on October 15.
‘It’s okay to disagree about what we see. That’s what makes our show great,’ she wrote in response to a disgruntled fan.
‘You have a say in the matter. We want you to vote for what you love and believe in. I appreciate your comment and the way you expressed your feelings. Thank you for your passion and your opinion.’
This week, the remaining 10 couples will take to the dance floor in a series of themed dances to set music from the blockbuster musical Wicked, with none other than Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu as a guest judge.
New episodes of DWTS air Tuesdays at 8pm ET on ABC and streaming on Disney+.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for ABC for comment.
