Tyler Cameron‘s Dancing With the Stars elimination still hasn’t fully set in.
“I wish I was there,” he exclusively told Us with a laugh in a joint interview with his fiancée, Tate Madden, on Wednesday, November 11, while promoting their partnership with Blue Buffalo’s Love Made Fresh. “It’s bittersweet.”
The 33-year-old explained, “I’m so excited to be home, like, we are so excited to finish our house, do the nursery, do all these things together, like, start living our life again. But also, [doing that show] was one of the greatest thrills of my life.”
Cameron was paired with Sharna Burgess on season 35 of DWTS, which premiered in September. The pair lasted seven weeks in the competition and were sent home in a heartbreaking double elimination on Horror Movie Night alongside Jackson Olson and Emma Slater.
One week before his final bow in the ballroom, Cameron and Burgess, 41, were joined by Madden, 33, for an emotional contemporary routine on Dedication Night. During the dance, Cameron read a letter to his late mother, Andrea, announcing that he and Madden are expecting their first baby.
“We’re so, so, so grateful that we have that [moment],” Madden told Us. “We always make the joke that our other kids are going to be really upset because I don’t think they’re quite going to get anything as extravagant as this first baby. … It was the coolest, most special [thing], like, the way that we were able to feel like his mom was with us in revealing.”
The couple, who got engaged in August, said they “absolutely” plan on showing the dance to their kids someday.
“We’ll have that forever, which is the most beautiful thing. And it is truly just, like, the greatest gift,” Cameron added. “Dancing With the Stars [was a] dream opportunity and, like, I’m bitter ’cause I’m here and I’m seeing everyone dance. … I loved that show, and I loved what I got to do there. But to have that Dedication Night, to me, is just the most amazing gift I could ever have.”
Not only did the pair debut Madden’s baby bump on live TV, but they also found out on camera that they’re having a girl. Cameron praised the production team for helping keep the reveal a secret by “hiding confetti” backstage.
“It was so in-depth how they did everything, and the fact that they really wanted us to, you know, have that moment and make it as special as they did, like, truly is the greatest gift ever,” Cameron continued. “It was everything I thought it [would be], but also, like, 10 times more. … I’m getting all a little emotional about it. But the picture of me holding Tate in the air, to me, is like the most beautiful picture I’ve ever taken.”
Cameron and Madden spoke to Us one day after the season 35 semifinalists were officially revealed on Grammy Night, with Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy being sent home in a shocking elimination. When asked to predict who might win the mirrorball trophy, Cameron admitted it’s “hard” to guess.
“Ezra [Frech] was always my No. 1,” he said. “I thought Ezra was the guy to beat. I think he still is. I think Connor [Wood] has surprised me, ’cause he’s improving, but also his fan base is just getting crazier and crazier and crazier, and I think he’s just getting bigger and bigger, so I think he has a shot.”
Madden also acknowledged how much Tatyana Ali has improved and gave a shout-out to Amber Glenn. “And we know them personally, and I truly can say, like, every one of them is — they are such great people. Like, so genuine, so it’s hard to even pick,” she added. “I mean, obviously, Harry [Shum Jr.] is incredible too.”
While Madden said any of the remaining couples would be “so deserving” of the victory, Cameron pointed out that they’re likely feeling the physical toll more than ever at this point in the competition.
“The grind they’re going through right now — I still feel it because my feet never hurt before, and I wake up out of bed and I feel like I’m walking on glass. Like, it kills me,” he told Us. “And I just imagine what they’re doing right now. They’re still going through that, so they’re in the gauntlet right now.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
