Spoilers are ahead for Dancing with the Stars‘ “Prince Night” semi-finals, available streaming now with a Disney+ subscription.
With just one week left before Dancing with the Stars‘ Season 34 finale, the stakes were sky-high for “Prince Night” on November 18 in the 2025 TV schedule. That meant viewers getting to hear some classic songs like “Purple Rain,” “Kiss,” and “Little Red Corvette” throughout the semi-finals episode, but Dylan Efron had a little more than some great music to boost his spirits: older brother Zac Efron was in the audience. Now, with Dylan advancing to the finale, viewers who think that the High School Musical vet’s appearance was “rigging the election” have some strong opinions.
While Dylan Efron qualified as a “star” for Dancing with the Stars on his own merit after The Traitors, there has been buzz all along about his older brother (and movie musical star) possibly dropping by. Their mom once dreamed of Zac competing, and Dylan fielded questions about whether Season 34 would include a High School Musical tribute. Zac, who has shown his moves off in projects like Hairspray, The Greatest Showman, and even The Iron Claw beyond the world of Troy Bolton and HSM, appeared on “Prince Night,” and was… heavily showcased, let’s say.
By that I mean that the camera cut over to where Zac Efron was sitting with little sister Olivia in the audience frequently while Dylan and partner Daniella Karagach were getting their feedback from the judges, with Derek Hough calling attention to Zac’s presence during his comments and Bruno Tonioli saying “I see leading men run in the family here!” Even if you knew nothing about Dylan’s older brother before this episode, it would have been clear that he’s a big deal in showbiz.
And according to some fans on social media, Zac Efron helped Dylan Efron get ahead in the voting game by his mere presence, resulting in the elimination of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Whitney Leavitt. Whitney and partner Mark Ballas did get scores of 29 for both their cha-cha-cha and Viennese waltz, compared to Dylan getting a 27 for his tango and 28 for his cha-cha-cha with Daniella, which were among the lowest scores of the night.
It’s impossible to say for sure if Dylan got a boost from his older brother turning up, but Zac did spread the word about Dylan on DWTS by posting how to vote on an Instagram Story. Take a look:
None of this is to accuse the Efron brothers of having any nefarious motives, and it’s entirely possible that scheduling just worked out that Zac was able to appear in the episode with the highest stakes ahead of the finale. That said, I can also see where fans are coming from in their reactions to Zac’s appearance, Dylan’s advancement, and Whitney’s elimination. Take a look at just some from X (edited for clarity):
- @gerawaycar: “ZAC EFRON IS RIGGING THE ELECTION RIGHT NOW. STOP THE COUNT.”
- @dyanilzavala: “Please don’t send [Dylan] home on Zac Efron night! PLEASE, Zac never leaves his house.”
- @cleanrings: “I really think if Zac Efron didn’t show up, Dylan would’ve gone home instead of Whitney.”
- @_samepaige_: “Zac did the bare minimum and single-handedly kicked Whitney out of that final and secured it for Dylan. I have to laugh.”
- @CarolynBurt_: “I WAS EATING POPCORN AND ACTUALLY THREW IT ACROSS THE ROOM OUT OF SHOCK WHEN I SAW ZAC EFRON IN THE DANCING WITH THE STARS AUDIENCE.”
Will Dylan Efron’s momentum – whatever the cause – follow him into the finale next week? The competition is stiff now that he’s a finalist, as he’ll be up against Jordan Chiles with pro partner Ezra Sosa, Alix Earle with Val Chmerkovskiy, Elaine Hendrix with Alan Bersten, and Robert Irwin with Witney Carson. Find out who comes out on top and takes home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy with Dancing with the Stars‘ Season 34 finale on Tuesday, 25 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.