Derek Hough gave Tyler Cameron plenty of praise during the Dancing With the Stars premiere. Unfortunately, the judge appeared to forget Cameron’s name while delivering his glowing review.
Cameron had just finished his tango with Sharna Burgess when Hough made the surprising mistake. Viewers immediately caught the slip, especially after Hough seemed to confuse Cameron with last season’s contestant Dylan Efron.
Derek Hough calls Tyler Cameron ‘Dylan’ during the Season 35 premiere, prompting fans to pile on
The mix-up happened after Cameron and Burgess danced to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” Hough looked impressed, but addressed Cameron by the wrong name. “Dylan, you have this, like, Patrick Swayze aura about you, right?” Hough said during the judging. “You’re cool, masculine, just effortless. It really is amazing, truly.”
The judge continued discussing Cameron’s technique without realizing his mistake. He later praised Cameron’s frame, posture, and presence during the routine.
Fans on X, however, noticed immediately. One viewer asked, “Did Derek Hough just call Tyler Dylan…?” Another wrote, “i’m very behind on dwts but derek calling tyler the wrong name is sending me ?” Someone else admitted the moment had them “giggling so hard.”
“Derek calling Tyler Dylan cuz he still at the restaurant with Dylan Efron #dwts,” a viewer wrote.
Despite the awkward introduction, Cameron finished his first performance with 17 out of 30 points. Bruno Tonioli praised his natural musicality and told him, “you can move, man.” Carrie Ann Inaba also liked Cameron’s performance, though she noticed a lift violation involving Burgess. “Lifts are still a thing,” she reminded the pair.
Cameron had previously described Burgess as “a dream of a partner” to Entertainment Weekly. He wanted a demanding partner, and said Burgess had pushed him hard. Burgess also knew exactly which judges Cameron needed to impress. She called Tonioli a concern, while describing Hough as “like a technician.”
Cameron entered the season competing alongside Taylor Hanson, Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, and Giada De Laurentiis. For now, Cameron had one small problem to solve before chasing the Mirrorball. He needed Hough to remember his name.
