Dancing With the Stars Shock as Julia Stiles Is Eliminated After Dancing Through Rib Injury

Julia Stiles has been eliminated from Dancing With the Stars after dancing through a painful rib injury, on a night when the show's two frontrunner couples both secured perfect scores in Los Angeles.

The 10 Things I Hate About You actor and her professional partner, Ezra Sosa, were voted off the American ballroom competition on Monday night. Earlier in the Disney on Broadway special, they had earned 33 out of 40 for a paso doble to 'Satisfied' from the musical Hamilton.

Once team-dance scores were added, the pair were level on 69 out of 80 with Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik. After viewers' votes were combined with the judges' totals, Stiles and Sosa were named as the couple leaving the competition.

Eight couples began the Disney on Broadway-themed episode, which was shifted to Monday to avoid a clash with Tuesday's US midterm elections on 3 November. Tony Award-winning performer Cynthia Erivo joined the panel as guest judge.

Injury Scare Before Julia Stiles' Routine

Rehearsal footage shown before the dance captured Stiles in tears on the studio floor, clutching her side as a rib problem flared again. 'I'm going to be fine, the dance is going to be great,' she said. 'I am determined to stay in the competition.'

On the night, judge Bruno Tonioli called the routine 'a proper paso doble' and praised its storytelling. Carrie Ann Inaba said Stiles was turning 'real, raw emotion into beautiful dancing', though she noted one small stumble. Derek Hough described the performance as a 'comeback'.

Erivo said Stiles had hidden her pain throughout the dance, calling that 'a real strength'.

Speaking after the result, Stiles was emotional but composed. 'It's been an incredible experience, I pulled things out of myself that I didn't realise were there,' she said. 'Ezra is just an amazing person, I'm going to be sad not to see him every day.'

Sosa replied: 'Just to see your growth in and out of the ballroom has been an honour. I'm so lucky I got to share this experience with you.'

The couple with the lowest combined total of judges' scores and viewer votes leaves the show each week.

Perfect Scores at the Top of the Dancing With the Stars Table

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson recorded their second consecutive 40 out of 40 for a jazz routine to 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' from Mary Poppins. The Glee and Everything Everywhere All at Once actor performed with an umbrella prop to live vocals.

'Get this man on Broadway, stat,' said Hough. Erivo said she was 'flabbergasted' by his physicality.

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy then matched the score with a quickstep to 'Be Our Guest' from Beauty and the Beast.

The producers had offered immunity from next week's dance-off to the top-scoring couple, with ties decided on cumulative season scores. Shum and Johnson had 236 points to their rivals' 235, and so won the immunity and bonus points for next week.

After the team dances, both couples finished on 80 out of 80.

How the Rest of the Dancing With the Stars Field Finished

Paralympian Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach scored 37 for a samba to 'Under the Sea' from The Little Mermaid, finishing on 77. Frech, who dances on a prosthetic leg, had said in rehearsal that he feared the bounce-heavy style might cause it to buckle.

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold scored 32 for a waltz to 'I See the Light' from Tangled. They finished on 72 after Wood's team, the Wildcats, earned a perfect 40 for a routine to 'We're All In This Together' from High School Musical.

Figure skater Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov scored 34 for a quickstep to music from Hercules, ending on 70. Ali and Ravnik scored 33 for a contemporary routine to 'Easy As Life' from Aida. Ali's team, Team Slaytopia, scored 36 for a routine to 'Zoo' from Zootopia 2.

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas scored 32 for a jive and finished bottom of the judges' leaderboard on 68.

The show returns to its usual Tuesday slot next week.