DWTS’ Schedule Change for Disney Night Explained After Switch
Dancing With the Stars has a surprising schedule change for Disney Night.
Cohost Alfonso Ribeiro confirmed during Horror Movie Night on October 27 that the show would be switching nights for Disney Night. While DWTS usually airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, there will be an episode on Monday, November 2, instead due to Election Day that Tuesday.
Disney Night will follow the remaining eight couples as they dance to songs from Disney films. There will also be a team dance where the contestants split into two groups to perform freestyle routines — with Ribeiro and cohost Julianne Hough stepping in to take part in the dances.
DWTS will not air on Tuesday, November 3, because ABC will be covering the midterm elections. The next episode is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, and then the semifinals are set for Tuesday, November 17, before the finale on Tuesday, November 24.
The schedule shakeup comes after DWTS faced some controversy during season 35. Val Chmerkovskiy made headlines earlier this month after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife, Jenna Johnson, for including an illegal lift in her Super Bowl Night performance with Harry Shum Jr.
While Johnson, 32, said she respected Inaba’s feedback, Chmerkovskiy, 40, took to social media to defend his wife by sharing a meme with a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Chmerkovskiy issued an apology after he was accused of threatening violence against Inaba, 58.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post,” he wrote via his Instagram Story on October 15. “I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside our internal DWTS family. I should never have made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it. I recognize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am, and who I want to be for you all.”
Chmerkovskiy continued, “I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward. ❤️.”
A spokesperson for BBC Studios later confirmed that Chmerkovskiy would be benched from the show for one week. His partner, Jenna Dewan, performed with Alan Bersten instead, and Chmerkovskiy addressed his absence when he returned.
“We are back together,” he said in rehearsal footage. “I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful.”
Dancing With the Stars airs Disney Night on ABC and Disney+ Monday, November 2, at 8 p.m. ET before returning to its usual broadcast time of Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
