On November 20, 2025, fans expected to see ABC broadcast a special tribute episode of Dancing With the Stars honoring the late Prince—but no one, not even the most advanced AI, can confirm what happened. Why? Because the date falls 16 months beyond the knowledge cutoff of July 2024 for systems like Perplexity AI. No scores, no eliminations, no dance routines, no guest performances—nothing is verifiable. It’s not that the episode didn’t happen. It’s that the tools we rely on to fact-check the world simply don’t exist yet for events in the future.
Why AI Can’t Tell You What Happened
The problem isn’t a lack of curiosity—it’s a hard technical wall. Perplexity AI’s models were trained on data up to July 2024. After that? Silence. No live web access. No real-time feeds from ABC News, Entertainment Weekly, or People Magazine. Even if the episode aired with fireworks, tears, and a soaring rendition of ‘Purple Rain,’ the AI can’t pull up a single tweet, article, or leaderboard. It’s like asking someone who hasn’t left their house since 2024 what the parade looked like last week. They might remember parades from 2023—but not the one yesterday.
What We Do Know: The Show’s History
What we can confirm comes from the show’s last confirmed season. Season 33 ended on May 20, 2024, with singer Jason Mraz and professional dancer Daniella Karagach taking home the mirrorball trophy. Before that, Season 32 (2023) crowned actress Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy. The judging panel at the time included Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, while hosts were Julianne Hough and, briefly, Tyra Banks. All of this is documented in archives, not speculation.
Prince has been honored before—twice. In Season 13 (2011), the cast performed to his music after his passing was still fresh in public memory. Then again in Season 21 (2015), shortly after his death in April 2016, the show dedicated an entire night to his legacy. Performances included ‘Kiss,’ ‘When Doves Cry,’ and ‘Purple Rain.’ The emotional weight of those nights was palpable. But for November 20, 2025? No one knows if it’s a return to form, a surprise guest, or just a playlist nod. The details are locked in the future.
Production and Broadcast Mechanics
The show still films at the ABC Television Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. Episodes air at 8:00 PM Eastern, 5:00 PM Pacific. Voting typically closes 15 minutes after the East Coast broadcast ends. The format remains consistent: one unlearned dance, one fan favorite, and a freestyle. Each dance scores up to 30 points. But none of this explains who danced on November 20, 2025, or who got eliminated. The structure is known. The content is not.
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company, which acquired 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019. That corporate history doesn’t help us predict 2025 casting decisions. The production arm, BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions, continues to churn out seasons—but the scripts for future episodes aren’t in the training data.
What This Means for Viewers and Journalists
This isn’t just an AI limitation—it’s a reminder of how much we rely on real-time information. If you’re waiting for a breakdown of who danced to ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ or which celebrity got the lowest score, you won’t find it here. And you won’t find it anywhere until after the episode airs. That’s the nature of live TV. News outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly will publish recaps hours later. But until then? It’s a black box.
For journalists, the lesson is clear: when reporting on live events, especially reality TV finales, you need eyes on the broadcast. No algorithm can replace a human watching the screen, hearing the crowd gasp, seeing the judges’ faces. That’s journalism. That’s reporting. That’s why the best source for this episode will be ABC’s official website, their YouTube channel, or their social feeds on November 20, 2025.
Why This Matters Beyond One TV Show
What happened here isn’t just about Dancing With the Stars. It’s about how we consume truth in the digital age. We’ve grown accustomed to instant answers. Ask Google or Siri about a game score, a celebrity breakup, or a political statement—and you get it in seconds. But the future? That’s still off-limits. AI can’t predict. It can’t see. It can only recall what’s already happened.
When a model says, ‘I can’t verify that,’ it’s not being evasive. It’s being honest. And in a world full of deepfakes, AI-generated headlines, and fabricated celebrity news, that honesty is rare—and valuable. Maybe the real story isn’t who won the dance-off. Maybe it’s that we’re finally learning to accept that some things can’t be known until they happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t AI tell me who won the November 20, 2025 episode of Dancing With the Stars?
AI models like Perplexity’s are trained on historical data up to July 2024 and have no access to live internet or future events. Since November 20, 2025, is 16 months beyond that cutoff, no verified reports, scores, or contestant details exist in its database. Even if the episode aired, the AI cannot retrieve or generate those details without violating its ethical constraints.
Has Dancing With the Stars ever honored Prince before?
Yes. Prince was honored in Season 13 (2011) and Season 21 (2015), both times shortly after major cultural moments involving his music. Performances included ‘Purple Rain,’ ‘Kiss,’ and ‘Let’s Go Crazy,’ with emotional tributes from contestants and judges. These episodes are documented in archived broadcasts and entertainment news from those years—but no such details exist for any 2025 episode.
Who were the winners of the most recent season of Dancing With the Stars?
Season 33, which concluded on May 20, 2024, was won by singer Jason Mraz and professional dancer Daniella Karagach. They beat out finalists including Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner and actor Danny Amendola. Their final freestyle to ‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz earned perfect scores across all three judges.
Where is Dancing With the Stars filmed, and when does it air?
The show is filmed at the ABC Television Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. Episodes air live on ABC at 8:00 PM Eastern Time (5:00 PM Pacific). Voting closes 15 minutes after the East Coast broadcast ends. The location and schedule have remained consistent since Season 29, though guest judges and hosts have changed.
Can I trust any online articles claiming to reveal details about the November 20, 2025 episode?
No. Any article, blog post, or social media thread claiming to reveal scores, contestants, or eliminations from the November 20, 2025 episode is either speculative, fabricated, or based on misinformation. Since the episode hasn’t aired yet, no legitimate news outlet can report on it. Always verify claims against official ABC channels or trusted entertainment sources like Entertainment Weekly after the broadcast date.
When will real information about this episode become available?
Real, verified information will become available immediately after the episode airs on November 20, 2025. Major entertainment outlets like The Hollywood Reporter, People Magazine, and ABC News will publish recaps, photos, and score breakdowns within hours. Until then, treat any details as fiction.
