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Carrie Ann Inaba, Alfonso Ribeiro, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli | Source: Getty Images
Carrie Ann Inaba, Alfonso Ribeiro, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli | Source: Getty Images

The Star Fans Have Been Waiting for Just Appeared on 'DWTS' – And It Left Them Screaming

Dorcus Osongo
Nov 19, 2025
06:49 A.M.

Fans who had been wondering whether the "High School Musical" star would ever appear on the live show got a sweet surprise when he finally showed up.

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Zac Efron made his first appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" ("DWTS") in support of his brother Dylan Efron during the semifinals. The episode, full of unexpected moments, left fans thrilled by his presence.

Zac Efron is seen in attendance during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida | Source: Getty Images

Zac Efron is seen in attendance during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida | Source: Getty Images

The main "DWTS" Instagram page shared photos of Zac posing with his brother Dylan, as well as another showing him with their little sister Olivia and their mother, Starla Baskett. The post was captioned, "The Efron family is cheering on @dylanefron as he soars around the ballroom for #DWTS #PrinceNight!"

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Olivia, Zac Efron, and Starla Baskett from a post dated November 18, 2025 | Source: Instagram/dancingwiththestars

Olivia, Zac Efron, and Starla Baskett from a post dated November 18, 2025 | Source: Instagram/dancingwiththestars

The 38-year-old was spotted sitting front and center on Tuesday, November 17, holding their 5-year-old sister on his lap. Olivia watched the competition in a pink puff-sleeved dress, while Zac kept it casual in a dark button-down shirt over a white T-shirt.

Julianne Hough, Zac, and Olivia Efron on Prince Night (Semi-Finals) on "Dancing with the Stars" on November 18, 2025 | Source: Getty Images

Julianne Hough, Zac, and Olivia Efron on Prince Night (Semi-Finals) on "Dancing with the Stars" on November 18, 2025 | Source: Getty Images

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Dylan and his partner Daniella Karagach are now in their tenth week of the competition, leaving fans curious about why it took the "Baywatch" star so long to appear. Some fans pointed out that even Prince William had made a surprise visit before him.

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Social media users had persistently called on Zac to attend, flooding feeds with humorous posts. On Prince Night, he finally showed up, lending his support on one of television's biggest dance shows.

Fans poured onto social media with excitement and disbelief at the actor's appearance. One exclaimed, "THE SCREAMMMM I had when Zac popped up on my screen, waited all season for this moment!!!" Another person shouted, "Zac we were waiting for you!!!"

And amidst the celebration, one fan voiced their confusion, "This is great I love this but why in the world did the BEST dancer go home ??? Isn't this DWTS ??? make it make sense please."

While fans had been eager to see Zac, in October, Dylan remained unfazed by the delay. He explained that he wasn't worried, noting that his brother has been supporting him every day.

However, the actor's admirers had expected to see him when Olivia joined Dylan and Daniella for his Dedication Night performance of "Rewrite the Stars" last month. The song is from Zac's movie "The Greatest Showman."

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Dylan dedicated his performance to Olivia. In a pre-taped video shown ahead of the performance, he reflected, "I wasn't expecting to be a big brother…but immediately, I was inseparable from her."

He added that dancing to "Rewrite the Stars" was also a way to honor Zac. "Zac's always taken care of me and he did things that were so selfless. I wanna be that to Olivia, I wanna be the best role model I can," he gushed.

Dylan and Zac, whose parents, Starla and David Efron, divorced in 2016, are now older brothers to Olivia and Henry, 4, whom David welcomed with his second wife.

The night Zac chose to show up on "DWTS" ended with a shocking elimination of one of the show's most consistent, high-scoring couples. Each of the remaining six pairs delivered two routines to some of Prince's most iconic hits, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive evening.

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson topped the leaderboard after performing a Jive to "Baby I'm a Star" and a Viennese Waltz to "WOW," earning a near-perfect 59 out of 60.

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Close behind were Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, whose Argentine Tango to "Little Red Corvette" and Viennese Waltz to "Purple Rain" brought them to 58.

Matching that score were Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, who powered through a Cha Cha to "1999" before shifting into a graceful Viennese Waltz to "Slow Love."

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten followed with a Foxtrot to "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and a commanding Paso Doble to "When Doves Cry," finishing with 57.

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa earned the same total after delivering a lively Jive to "Raspberry Beret" and an Argentine Tango to "U Got the Look."

Dylan and Daniella rounded out the night with a Tango to "I Would Die 4 U" and a Cha Cha to "Kiss," scoring 55 out of 60.

But as always, the judges' scores were only part of the equation. Once viewer votes were factored in, the competition took an unexpected turn, as Whitney and Mark were eliminated.

With the Season 34 finale up next, and a three-hour showdown on the way, viewers are already eager to see who will claim the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy.

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