"Ableist at its finest": DWTS fans slam the show for not letting Daniel speak after his elimination in Episode 10

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) Season 31 aired a brand new episode on Monday, November 15, 2022, at 8 pm ET on Disney+. The episode featured six remaining contestant-pro dancer pairs putting their best foot forward in the semi-finals of the competition. While all impressed the judges and viewers, Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater, and Daniel Durant and Britt Stewart were eliminated.

Trevor and Emma were the first pair to be eliminated, whereas Daniel and Britt were at the bottom with Shangela and Gleb. Eventually, the judges decided to save the latter pair, thereby sending Daniel and Britt home. However, fans were furious at the show for not allowing Daniel to make exit remarks when Trevor got to do the same.

They took to social media to express their displeasure, calling the show "ableist." One tweeted:

The pairs who made it to the finals of DWTS Season 31 and are in the run for the mirror ball trophy, include Wayne Brady and Witney Carson; Charli D'Amelio and Mark Ballas; Shangela and Gleb Savchenko; and Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy. With such stiff competition, only time will tell who takes the mirror ball trophy home this year.

---

Daniel and Britt get eliminated from DWTS Season 31

Daniel, who is the third-ever deaf contestant to appear on DWTS was paired up with Britt this season. The duo got onto the stage promising to deliver a special performance. In the first round, they went with the bold choice of stopping the music in the middle of the routine and dancing by coordinating the moves together. The duo danced a Viennese waltz to to Surprise Yourself by Jack Garratt, and while the judges were left impressed, they also had some criticisms.

Derek felt that Daniel "got his right arm too far around," but he displayed beautiful lines and movements throughout his performance. Bruno called the contestant "Prince Charming" and said that the routine made everyone "fall in love" with him. Carie Ann described their performance as being "extremely special" and said that she found it harder to describe the performance in words.

Len claimed that he loved the movements the pair produced throughout their performance but felt like it was skippy at certain points and lacked finnesse as well. The pair scored a total of 35 out of 40.

In the second DWTS round, the duo danced Samba to Light It Up [Remix] by Major Lazer feat. Nyla and Fuse ODG. The judges were impressed with the amount of material provided throughout the performance and it looked like Daniel was having fun. They also complimented the pair for their ability to rise from the complexities of Samba successfully.

Daniel and Britt scored a total of 34 out of 40. However, their combined total of 69/80 wasn't enough to save them. They were at the bottom with Shangela and Gleb, who had scored a total of 73/80. By the end of the episode, Daniel and Britt missed out on competing in the DWTS finals as the judges saved the other pair.

---

Fans upset at Daniel not being allowed to speak after his elimination on DWTS

Fans were furious at the show's production for not letting Daniel and Britt speak after their elimination, while Trevor and Emma, who were the first pair to be eliminated ahead in the DWTS episode, got to make their exit remarks.

They took to social media to express their disappointment and called the show "ableist." Check out what they have to say.

---

Season 31 of DWTS has seen some iconic nights this year with different themes and contestants, who instantly became fan favorites with their performances and inspiring stories. With four final pairs, it can be anyone's game. Viewers will have to tune in to find out who wins the mirror ball trophy.

Don't forget to tune into next week's finale episode on Monday, November 21, 2022, at 8 pm ET on Disney+.