"Dancing With the Stars" booted Hayes Grier, the 15-year-old Vine and YouTube sensation, Monday night even though his Halloween-themed waltz earned solid scores from the judges.
Lisa Reynolds, of The Wall Street Journal, thought Grier and his professional partner Emma Slater may have been the victims of competing first. His overall score for the night — 56 — put him fourth out of the remaining eight contestants, but it just wasn't enough to overcome the lack of viewer votes.
"The 15-year-old Vine star proved an eager, affable student, happy to be on the show and to try whatever Emma asked of him," Reynolds wrote in her show recap. "Alas, he danced first on famous-dances week, and in a sea of perfect 10s, his jazz routine turned out not to be the one we wanted. He was a well-loved contestant, though, surrounded by hugs galore as his elimination was announced as the show ended."
Grier and Slater were on the bubble Monday along with Tamar Braxton, her partner Val Chmerkovskiy, Alexa PenaVega, and her partner Mark Ballas.
The dancers performed to various Halloween themes on Monday's episode.
"This teen werewolf and the object of his affection danced a waltz that the judges were pretty over the full
moon about," USA Today's Erin Jensen wrote. "Though Carrie Ann split some of Hayes' newly sprouted facial hairs, Julianne said the dance gave her the chills."
Grier joins the list of eliminated celebrities from this season, including chef Paula Deen, R&B singer Chaka Khan, Triple Crown champion jockey Victor Espinoza, and actor Gary Busey. Kim Zolciak-Biermann, of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta," dropped out of the competition after suffering a mini stroke.
Bindi Irwin, the teenage daughter of the late "Crocodile Hunter," continues to dominate the competition with pro partner Derek Hough. The pair came away Monday with a total overall score of 58 from the judges, putting them in first place.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.