Britt Stewart shares emotional message for Taylor Hanson after shocking “Dancing With the Stars ”elimination

Ryan ColemanSat, October 3, 2026 at 4:02 PM UTC

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Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart during their elimination from ‘DWTS’ season 35Credit: Disney/Eric McCandlessKey Points -

Britt Stewart has spoken out about her controversial elimination from Dancing With the Stars.

The ballroom pro was eliminated after three weeks of competition on Tuesday, alongside her partner, Hanson frontman Taylor Hanson, prompting fan outcry.

Stewart thanked Hanson for “showing up fully and authentically,” saying she will “forever be proud of our partnership and our DWTS journey together.”

Britt Stewart is finally making her voice heard after becoming the subject of a fervent Dancing With the Stars fan campaign.

After just three weeks of competition, Stewart and her DWTS season 35 pro partner, Hanson frontman Taylor Hanson, were eliminated on Tuesday. Stewart’s stunned reaction to cohost Alfonso Ribeiro calling out her and Hanson’s names quickly went viral, but since then, the ballroom pro has gone largely silent.

That is until Saturday, when Stewart took to Instagram to share an emotional note dedicated to Hanson.

“Taylor, thank you for showing up fully and authentically. Thank you for trusting me,” Stewart wrote. “What we created together was bigger than how many weeks we were given to create it. I will forever be proud of our partnership and our DWTS journey together. Thank you for reminding me why I love to create and connect!”

The seven-season DWTS pro explained that “there are times in your life that you know will impact you in big ways. I truly believe that having [Hanson] as my partner for [DWTS] Season 35 is and will be one of those times. I’m not even sure I am expressing the right words to sum it all up but all I know is that I’m grateful.”

In closing, she thanked fans for “the love, support and messages over the past few days. I feel it all and it means more than you know.”

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Britt Stewart in Los Angeles in 2026Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Stewart holds a special place in many Dancing With the Stars fans’ hearts. She not only made history in 2020 by becoming the first Black woman cast as a pro in the show’s history, but since that time, she hasn’t placed once in the finals or even semifinals.

That isn’t an entirely unusual record. Recently departed pro Artem Chigvintsev took nine seasons to finally crack the finals, finally winning season 29 — Stewart’s first season — with Kaitlyn Bristowe. Former pros like Tristan MacManus and Chelsie Hightower competed on several seasons without ever placing in the finals, and then exited the cast.

But Stewart’s expert moves and sunny personality have won her a large and loyal fanbase, and even lay fans of the show without any particular horse in the season 35 race took to the internet to express their displeasure at hers and Hanson’s elimination after scoring in the middle of the pack.

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Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart on ‘Dancing With the Stars’Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless

Hanson and Stewart appeared on the official DWTS podcast on Thursday to discuss their time on season 35. During the interview, Hanson broke down in tears while discussing his partnership with Stewart.

“Everybody’s so talented on the show. It’s insane. It’s crazy how talented these pros are, but I saw Britt and — I’m getting emotional now,” he said. “She has done what I’ve done, in a lot of ways, with dance for most her life. She’s thrown her heart at it, and that’s the thing most people avoid.”

on Entertainment Weekly

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