Taylor Swift Surprises Fans with Video Appearance on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Tribute Episode

Taylor Swift Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

During the Dancing With the Stars episode on Tuesday, November 21, Taylor Swift surprised the audience with a special video message, thanking them for the me-themed night that honored her music and groundbreaking year. Unfortunately, Swift explained that she couldn't attend in person as she was on tour in Brazil, but expressed her excitement to see the choreography and what her friend Mandy Moore had in store for the show.

Throughout the episode, the six remaining couples danced to songs from Taylor Swift's extensive discography in what was titled "A Celebration of Taylor Swift."

The tribute episode featured Moore, the lead choreographer of Swift’s Eras Tour and a longtime choreographer on Dancing With the Stars, as a guest judge. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli completed the judging panel.

The ABC reality series has been teasing a Taylor Swift-themed night since October, when pro Peta Murgatroyd mentioned it was in the works in an interview with Billboard. Pro Artem Chigvintsev also hinted at Swift's heavy involvement in a future episode while appearing on the "Nikki & Brie Show" podcast with his season 32 partner, Charity Lawson.

Garcia asked Charity if she was excited for the upcoming night, specifically wondering if she was a Taylor Swift fan. Charity, 27, confirmed that she loves Swift but is not a die-hard fan. She also mentioned that she requested one of Swift's songs during the first week of the season but was denied. Chigvintsev then interjected with a comment before trailing off.

After more than a month of speculation, cohost Alfonso Ribeiro finally confirmed during the November 7 episode that a Swift-centric night would occur two weeks later.

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Check out the deal! Even though Swift has never competed on Dancing With the Stars, she has a rich history with the show. She first appeared on the series in 2009, performing “Jump Then Fall” and “Love Story” during season 9. The next year, she returned to sing “Mine” and “White Horse” in season 11. In 2012, she took the stage once again to perform “We Are Never Getting Back Together” during season 15.

Swift has had a particularly hectic year, with the competition paying tribute to her amidst her releases of re-recorded albums and a concert film. She is currently on her record-breaking Eras Tour, with her final dates for this year scheduled in São Paulo, Brazil. The tour will resume in February and will continue until December 2024.