This year’s season of “Dancing with the Stars” has taken over its viewers by storm, flooding the ballroom and screens alike with unforgettable personalities. With week nine’s episode set to air tonight, the competition is getting tighter while the stars are getting brighter, but a few contestants have clearly set themselves apart from the rest.

Irwin charms viewers, becomes fan favorite

From the moment Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson stepped onto the dance floor, audiences across the nation have fallen in love. Irwin, an Australian zookeeper, was known for his connections to his father Steve Irwin, host of  “The Crocodile Hunter,” and his sister Bindi Irwin who had won season 21 of  “Dancing with the Stars.” Now, Irwin is known for his infectious smile and authentic personality. Fans cannot get enough of his energy and enthusiasm.

Irwin is not only winning the votes of his fans but also the votes of the judges. Although there were complaints from audiences that Irwin had not been getting the scores he deserved — like on dedication night when he performed an emotional contemporary featuring his mom — he has made a comeback. Since then he has gone to score straight nines on “Wicked” night and even continued to score multiple tens on Halloween night.

Judge Derek Hough even went on to say, “Robert, you’re an incredible dancer… you’re meant to be a dancer.” Irwin’s technique is rapidly improving, and his commitment and dedication to each routine is showing in every performance. It is rare for a contestant to capture the hearts of both the crowd and the judges, but with his charm, heart and growing skill, Irwin is taking it all.

Leavitt’s technical experience leads to high scores and low popularity

Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas also continue to dominate the scoreboard. Originally known from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” Leavitt also obtained a college degree in dance. She had much experience in the dance world, considering she grew up in the competitive dance world as well. Despite all her experience, she remains lower on the totem pole as a fan favorite.

Many viewers claim her experience gives her an unfair advantage, defeating the whole purpose of the show. Some even state how she has a lack of compassion towards her other competitors, explaining how they have seen her smirk while other dancers are being sent home. She may be a dominating competitor with her crisp technique and elegance, but she is not fooling the audience.

Although compared to other contenders she is not as popular with the fans, she is not going unnoticed by the judges. Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas were even the first contestants this season to score a ten. On “Wicked” night, they performed an incredible quick-step to the song “Popular” by Ariana Grande and Mika. They were given three tens and a singular nine, only one point away from a perfect score.

The judges’ love towards her was especially highlighted on Halloween night after Leavitt and Ballas won the Monsterthon. Many viewers including myself even believe that other finalists, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, deserved the win over Leavitt. We feel as if Leavitt did not put as much effort into the competition as others did. These results left many viewers disappointed. Whitney Leavitt may be captivating the judges with her confident personality leading to phenomenal scores, but will that be enough?

Leavitt and Irwin battle for the spotlight

While both Robert Irwin and Whitney Leavitt battle for the spotlight, the show is building to an exciting climax. Personally, I feel that Irwin’s emotional connection to his fans gives him the ultimate advantage over Leavitt’s precision.

As the show continues, and other contestants continue to go home, Irwin’s audience popularity votes will begin to rise since those who have been voting for other stars may join Irwin’s dedicated followers and start voting for Irwin more. Based off fan reactions to Whitney’s attitude, these fans will more likely give their love to Irwin, but only time will tell which strength will shine more and take the win for sure.

The season’s underdogs

Along with your top scorers, every season has an underdog. They win the hearts of the audience but do not have the skills to compare.

This season, that honor goes to Andy Richter, American actor and comedian. Although his footwork and skill do not compare to the rest of the competitors, his humor and heart have kept him on the show longer than anyone expected. Richter is the ultimate example that personality and effort can sometimes outshine perfection. Even though so many fans love him, his final dance is approaching sooner rather than later.

As adorable his personality comes across, the reality is that he is not dancing. Many times the judges have commented on how they would like to see more with his feet rather than just arm motions. I will be caught extremely off guard if Richter makes it to this year’s final five couples.

Some other underdogs would be Dylan Efron with his partner Daniella Karagach and Alix Earle with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Although they both got off to slow starts, they are rising to the occasion and taking over the scoreboard.

Efron, famous for being a reality television star, is beginning to capture the judges’ attention thanks to his growing skill on the dance floor, and Earle, known for her massive online following on Tik Tok, has evolved into a confident performer and is showing remarkable growth. Both couples started with lower scores but now have continued to receive multiple high scores from the judges.

Efron began his season with a combined score of 10/20 on premiere night. He was overshadowed by several other more popular competitors and went under the radar. Now, Efron is one of the most popular dancers on the show, with his fans taking over social media platforms. He has tremendously improved his dancing skills and demonstrated them with his contemporary dance on dedication night to his brother Zac Efron’s song “Rewrite the Stars” featuring his little sister Olivia Efron. Efron has even received his best score, a 36/40, with him being the first celebrity to receive straight nines this season.

On premiere night as well, Earle scored a total of 13/20 points on her cha cha to the song “Circus” by Brittany Spears. Her scores stayed consistently mediocre compared to the rest of the dancers, but eventually, she made her comeback. On Halloween night, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy danced a tango to “Bury a Friend” by Billie Eilish, scoring three tens and a singular nine. They even got a bonus four points to add to their score by making it to the final two of the Monsterthon.

Their performances may not all be perfect, but their rapid improvement and dedication are making Alix Earle and Dylan Efron this season’s stealth competitors to watch. Many fans are beginning to notice their efforts to becoming great and are slowly beginning to love them more. I have no doubt that both of these couples will make it to our final episode this season. After all, these two couples definitely deserve it after all the hard work and hidden skill they have put into this season.

Some competitors overlooked in show’s internet popularity

“Dancing with the Stars” is a show that takes over social media for a couple months every year. Fans every year love to highlight their favorite competitors and love to discourage the names of those they feel should be sent home, finding community amongst social media platforms and sharing thoughts on the stars taking the stage.

Although many celebrities catch the eyes of these fans, others get overshadowed. Despite their efforts, contestants such as Jordan Chiles, Elaine Hendrix and others have continued to be outshined by their more dynamic competitors. When scrolling online, these dancers names tend to come up less than some of the more popular competitors. Whether this can be interpreted positively or negatively will be decided as the season goes on.

Although these celebrities have impressive skill, popularity is equally as important to keep dancers in the competition. Considering their lack of fan votes, I feel as if any of these couples would be considered lucky to make it to this years finale. Whether it is due to their lack of dedication or just their lack of online appearance, they have all struggled to keep up with the pace that it takes to standout amongst the other stars.

As the show is nearing this season’s finale, fans are bracing themselves for an unforgettable finish. Will Whitney Leavitt’s technical mastery push her to victory? Will Robert Irwin’s passion and personality win him the trophy? Will one of the underdogs rise to the occasion and claim what is rightfully theirs? Regardless of the outcome, this season has taken over the hearts of all its viewers.