With Dancing With the Stars airing week 6, it's only fair we recap one of the most exciting moments of the entire season.
On October 15, fans watched the remaining season 33 contestants dedicate their dances to loved ones as part of DWTS' annual "Dedication Night." As a way to celebrate the heartfelt theme, folks watched former pro and three-time Mirror Ball Trophy winner Mark Ballas return to the ballroom as a guest judge. As he sat along permanent judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, Mark sang his praises for the celebrity dancers along with a few critiques on where they could improve for the next week.
One day after the episode aired on ABC and Disney+, Mark went on Instagram to express his gratitude for the opportunity. "It was an honor to be at the judges table last night," he wrote in the caption on October 16. "After 20 seasons as a competitor I feel like I've done it all, but some how this little ballroom dancing show we all love still had a new experience up its sleeve for me. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the dancing & I truly hope I gave the couples some tips to take with them as they move into the next phase of the competition."
As soon as fans noticed Mark's emotional note recapping this Dancing With the Stars highlight, the comments flooded in with hopes that he'll eventually make judging the show a more consistent thing.
"Where is the petition to sign and make him a permanent judge? 🤔🤔," one person wrote. "Let’s manifest Mark as a permanent judge for DWTS 2025 girlies 🤩," another agreed. "@dancingwiththestars Please make @markballas a permanent judge! He was PERFECTION!" a different follower added.
As fans know, Mark made his debut as a Dancing With the Stars pro back in season 5, where he was paired with singer and actress Sabrina Bryan. He later won season 6 with Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, season 8 with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and season 31 with TikTok star Charli D'Amelio. He then retired from DWTS in March 2023, making this the first time he stepped into the ballroom in a different role than before.
It's also important to note that if Mark would ever join the judges panel, he'd be filling the spot late head judge Len Goodman had until he retired in November 2022 and died from bone cancer in April 2023.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
