Tyler Cameron is speaking out after a tense moment on Dancing With the Stars saw him walk away from the judges while still on camera — just hours before his elimination from the competition.

The reality star found himself at the centre of controversy during Horror Movie Night on October 27, after receiving disappointing scores for his Dracula-inspired Viennese waltz with professional partner Sharna Burgess. What followed quickly became one of the evening’s most talked-about moments, with viewers questioning his reaction to the judges’ criticism.

Tyler earned a total of 26 out of 40, including a particularly harsh score of five from guest judge Shirley Ballas. While the judges acknowledged his theatrical performance, they also raised concerns about his posture, technique and overall execution.

Clearly frustrated, Tyler began walking away before the judging segment had fully concluded. Sharna attempted to bring him back, but the moment had already caught viewers’ attention.

Now, Tyler is explaining what was going through his mind.

Speaking after his elimination, he admitted that his reaction was “not my proudest moment.” He explained that he had mistakenly thought filming was over and felt he needed to step away from the situation.

“I was disappointed in myself,” he said, adding that he felt he had let himself down — and, more importantly, let Sharna down.

Tyler also revealed that the pressure had become overwhelming because he believed the performance needed to earn a strong score for him to remain in the competition. When that did not happen, he struggled to hide his disappointment.

But despite the difficult ending, he made it clear that he was grateful for the experience and for his partnership with Sharna. She, in turn, defended his performance, saying she believed he deserved higher scores and praising the effort he had put into the competition.

Unfortunately, the emotional moment was followed by another blow: Tyler and Sharna were eliminated in the show’s double elimination alongside Jackson Olson and Emma Slater.

For Tyler, the journey ended on a difficult note, but his message afterwards was one of gratitude rather than bitterness.

Was Tyler’s walk-off an understandable moment of frustration, or should he have handled the judges’ criticism differently? His honest explanation has added a new dimension to a dramatic night in the ballroom.