Comedian Matan Peretz and Dancer Elinor Gershfeld Eliminated from Israel’s Dancing with the Stars

Comedian Matan Peretz and professional dancer Elinor Gershfeld were unexpectedly eliminated from the Israeli reality show "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday night, after a brief but emotional run. Their final performance was a heartfelt dance dedicated to Peretz’s sister, who recently experienced a stillbirth. Peretz explained that the dance was a gift to his sister, who was visibly moved in the audience, saying she had never been able to listen to the song before.

Peretz’s journey on the show was marked by controversy after receiving a historically low score of just 2 points from judge David Dvir in the opening episode, placing the pair at the bottom of the leaderboard with a total of 17 points. This score sparked a rare on-air dispute among the judges, with Chaim Pashtain and Anna Aronov defending Peretz’s performance as unfairly judged. Following the first episode, Peretz reportedly struggled emotionally and initially refused to speak with production staff, though he soon resumed intense rehearsals.

The current season of "Dancing with the Stars" has been filled with dramatic and emotional moments. Singer Shiri Maimon, who topped the leaderboard with 33 points in the premiere, shared the personal challenges she faced in her career. Additionally, contestant Eden Golan suffered an injury during rehearsals, raising concerns about her ability to continue, as the show’s rules allow only one missed dance before disqualification.

With Peretz and Gershfeld joining the first eliminated contestant, Ofer Oziel, the remaining couples are aware that every performance could be their last as the competition intensifies.