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Tyler Cameron explains his 'Dancing with the Stars' walk-off: 'Not my proudest moment'

By Trend Desk · · 3 min read

Illustration of an empty ballroom balcony with a velvet couch and a dimmed spotlight, a mirrorball glowing over the dance floor below
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Tyler Cameron says he didn’t mean to storm off on live TV. A day after he and pro partner Sharna Burgess were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars on Horror Movie Night (Oct. 27), the Bachelorette alum explained why he walked away from the cameras after getting his scores, calling it “not my proudest moment.”

The moment drew wide attention because it happened on air. Many viewers criticized it as unprofessional, according to USA Today.

What happened on Horror Movie Night

Cameron and Burgess danced a Viennese waltz to Annie Lennox’s “Love Song for a Vampire,” inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The judges gave it 26 out of 40. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each scored a 7, and guest judge Shirley Ballas gave a 5, according to Wealth of Geeks.

As the scores came in, a visibly frustrated Cameron tried to leave the camera’s view, E! News reported. Wealth of Geeks, citing Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan, said he left the skybox while co-host Julianne Hough was still speaking on camera, and Burgess reached toward him as he moved away.

Later that night, Cameron and Burgess went home in a double elimination with Jackson Olson and Emma Slater. Because no one was eliminated on Dedication Night the week before, both weeks’ judges’ scores and viewer votes were combined. Cameron finished with 58 out of 80 from the judges over the two weeks.

Tyler Cameron’s explanation

In a TikTok posted with Burgess after the episode, Cameron addressed the walk-off directly.

“Y’all saw a real human moment out of me, not my proudest moment,” he said, as quoted by Good Morning America. “When I was upstairs getting my scores, I thought we were done filming and I was like, I needed to step away from it all.”

He said the pressure of the night got to him. “I was disappointed in myself, OK. I thought it was boom or bust at that point where we had to have a great score or we were out of this competition,” he said. “And it was bust in my head and I felt like I let myself down. More importantly, I thought, ‘I let Sharna down,’ and it was hard.”

E! News noted that Cameron had been among the lowest-scoring contestants in recent weeks of Season 35.

Gratitude for Sharna Burgess

Most of the video was a thank-you. “This has been a once-in-a-lifetime incredible experience, and I mean it from my heart,” Cameron told Burgess, according to USA Today. “I am just so grateful for everything, for you, for what this has meant to me, for everything.”

Burgess backed her partner. Wealth of Geeks reported that she watched the routine back and felt Cameron pulled off much of the technique they had worked on, and that the three regular judges could have given 8s.

In a separate interview with ABC’s On the Red Carpet, Cameron said dancing had helped him open up emotionally, according to the same report.

Ballas on her score

Ballas, the longtime Strictly Come Dancing judge, later explained her approach. According to Wealth of Geeks, citing Parade, she said she sees scores of 4 to 6 as signs a dancer is progressing, while 7s, 8s and 9s reflect greater mastery.

FAQ

Did Tyler Cameron quit Dancing with the Stars?

No. He walked off camera after his scores were read, but he stayed for the show and was eliminated later that night with Jackson Olson.

Why did Tyler Cameron walk off DWTS?

He said he thought filming was over and needed to step away because he felt he had let himself and Burgess down.

Did he apologize?

He called it “not my proudest moment” and a “real human moment.” Reports describe his TikTok as an apology for letting his emotions get the better of him.

Earlier coverage: Who got eliminated on 'Dancing with the Stars'? Tyler Cameron and Jackson Olson go home on Horror Movie Night (Oct 28)

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