'Dancing With the Stars' News: Len Goodman Gives Perfect 10 to Nyle DiMarco
Monday's episode of "Dancing With the Stars" was a little bit too much for some contestants but for Nyle DiMarco, it was the biggest night yet as he received the season's first perfect 10 from none other than Len Goodman.
As every fan of the dance show already knows, Goodman isn't the sweetest judge around. Many times, he delivers comments that rack up the contestant and he has also received heavy criticism in the past for going against the positive remarks of other judges.
However, the grumpy, old man seemed to be captivated too much by DiMarco's performance as he found his paddle and raised it to reveal the number that every participant wants. According to U.S. Weekly, Goodman referred to the routine as a "total eclipse: It doesn't turn up often, but when it does, it's fantastic."
Aside from his big night, DiMarco also brought up tears from not just judge Carrie Anna Inaba but he also led special guest and "America's Next Top Model" mama Tyra Banks. She was spotted clapping while shedding tears as she witnessed Goodman raising his perfect score paddle.
According to People, there was an issue with the scoring as Bruno Tonioli and guest judge Maks Chmerkovskiy both showed 10 paddles but later on, they wrote down 9 on their score cards after the routine. Host Tom Bergeron explained that the figures written down on the score cards will be counted, instead of what the judges showed up.
After the confusion, DiMarco was given a final total score of 37 out of 40, as he also received a 9 from Inaba.
DiMarco's performance was one of the most challenging yet as it was for Switch-Up Night and he was paired with Sharna Burgess for the routine. Despite the struggle of getting into the dance floor with a partner he wasn't used to, DiMarco, who is deaf, he said it was great having Banks in the audience.
In an after-show interview, he told E! News, "I think on the show she was kind of like a mother figure. She sees what I've accomplished and we have a deep connection. To see her crying I think it was that understanding of what we have."
"Dancing With the Stars" airs every Monday on ABC.