Ezra Frech and Mom Bahar Soomekh Earn DWTS Season 35's First Perfect 10
The Paralympian and his actress mother performed a tribute routine with pro partner Daniella Karagach on Dedication Night
By AXY Celebrity Desk ·
Key points
- Ezra Frech, Bahar Soomekh and pro partner Daniella Karagach earned Dancing With the Stars season 35's first perfect 10 on the Oct. 20 Dedication Night episode.
- The contemporary routine, set to "Bloodline" by Mon Rovia, was Frech's tribute to his mother for what she gave up to raise him.
- Soomekh appeared in Crash, which won the Best Picture Oscar, and later in shows including 24 and Bones.
- Frech was born without his left knee and fibula and is a two-time Paralympian and track and field athlete.
- Guest judge Kym Johnson gave top marks, and judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli praised the emotion of the performance.
Ezra Frech's mom, actress Bahar Soomekh, helped Dancing With the Stars earn its first perfect 10 of season 35. The Paralympian and track and field athlete performed a contemporary routine with Soomekh and pro partner Daniella Karagach during the show's Dedication Night episode on Oct. 20. Guest judge Kym Johnson gave the trio top marks, and the score put the performance in the show's record books for the season.
It takes two to tango, as the saying goes, but this time it took three. The routine was a tribute, and the emotion on the floor was obvious from the first moments. For a reality competition built on scores and rankings, the dance stood out because it was really about a mother and son.
Who Is Bahar Soomekh?
Bahar Soomekh is an actress who is best known to many viewers for her role in Crash. The 2004 ensemble drama went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, the top prize at the Oscars, which is the annual film awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Being part of a Best Picture winner gave Soomekh a visible credit on a film that is still widely discussed in Hollywood and among movie fans.
Her television work followed. The source material lists credits on the shows 24 and Bones. Both are long-running American series with large followings, and the appearances gave Soomekh steady work on screen over the years.
Her personal life changed the shape of her career. Soomekh gave birth to Ezra in 2005, with her husband, Clayton Frech, shortly after her time on Crash. According to the source material, she appeared on television only a handful of times in the years that followed. Ezra remained her top priority, and by her son's account, that meant leaving behind the kind of full-time work that had come with her earlier success.
The source reports Soomekh is 51 years old. She is the one who read Robert Munsch's picture book Love You Forever to her son when he was young, a detail that became central to the routine.
Ezra Frech's Story and Background
Ezra Frech was born without his left knee and fibula. The fibula is the thinner of the two bones in the lower leg, running along the outer side from the knee to the ankle. Because of that difference, he grew up with a visible condition that drew attention in public places.
Frech has built a career in sport. He is a track and field athlete and a two-time Paralympian. The Paralympic Games are the multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, held after the Olympics in the same host city, and athletes who compete there often use the stage to reach audiences far beyond their own sport. Frech's appearance on Dancing With the Stars added a new kind of audience to that story.
In his own words, shared before the performance, Frech described what it was like growing up in public. "As a little kid, everywhere I went in public, there was people staring, pointing fingers, whispering about me." He said his mother worked to help him feel secure in his own body, and the routine was built around that effort.
The Dedication Night Routine
The dance was set to "Bloodline" by Mon Rovia. According to the source, Frech said the performance was a way to honor his mother for everything she sacrificed to raise him. The word he used was sacrifice, and it set the tone for a routine that the show framed as a personal gift rather than a standard competition piece.
The choreography drew on the children's book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. First published in 1986, the picture book is a familiar bedtime story in many households, and its message about a parent's love for a child is simple and direct. Soomekh often read it to Ezra when he was young, so the book gave the routine a thread the audience could recognize.
Frech was tearful before he took the floor. "She was in Academy Award-winning films at the peak of her career as an actress, and she left it all to take care of me," he said. Those words gave the performance its context, and they explained why the three of them moved the way they did.
On Oct. 20, Soomekh also posted to Instagram. In that post, the source says, she wrote a message to her son. "You are my baby," she wrote. "You will forever be my baby. I love you forever, and the fact that I get to be in this life as your mom is the biggest honor of my life."
What the Judges and Co-Hosts Said
After the performance, Frech spoke with the show's co-hosts, Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro. He described his mother in close terms. "She's my best friend, my therapist, my life coach," he said. He also called the chance to perform with her the "honor of a lifetime to get to dance with her."
The judges were moved as well. Carrie Ann Inaba was tearing up as she gave her critique, and she spoke directly to the pair. "The impact you've had on your son has spread to all of us," she told Bahar and Ezra. She said she loved how much feeling the dance carried, and she singled out the change in energy when the routine moved into Frech's solo. "As you spread your wings," she said, "you told the story."
Bruno Tonioli took a different angle in his comments. He described the dance as "life-affirming." Together, the comments made clear that the room was responding to the family story as much as to the technique.
The score itself came from guest judge Kym Johnson, who awarded the top marks. A perfect 10 is rare on this kind of program, and the source material identifies this one as the first of the season.
Why It Matters to Viewers
For many viewers, the appeal of a show like Dancing With the Stars is the mix of athletic skill and personal storytelling. In this case, the two came together. Frech's sport is built on control, timing and endurance, and the routine showed how he uses that same discipline on a stage that is very different from a track.
His account of childhood also speaks to a common experience for young people with visible differences. Being stared at, pointed at or whispered about can shape how a child sees their own body. Frech's words gave a direct account of that pressure, and they show why a parent's support can matter so much in the years when a child is still forming an identity.
The story also touches on a question many families face. Soomekh had a film career and a television career, and she stepped back from much of that work to focus on her son. Her son now presents that choice as the reason he feels confident. Readers who have had to balance work and caregiving often see their own choices in stories like this one, which is part of why a moment like this travels beyond the dance floor.
There is also a practical point for the show. Televised competitions depend on storylines that bring viewers back each week. A routine that leans on family, disability and emotion can draw in people who might not usually watch, and it gives the judges a chance to talk about something other than steps and lifts.
What to Watch Next
The season continues, and the perfect 10 gives Frech, Soomekh and Karagach a high mark to carry forward. Analysts who follow reality competitions often say early high scores can help a couple gain attention, but they also raise expectations for later performances. How the trio responds in future weeks will show whether the Dedication Night routine was a one-time emotional peak or the start of a longer run.
Viewers will also be watching whether the pair returns to a family-centered theme or chooses a different style. The source material does not say what the trio plans to perform next, so any predictions about future routines remain speculation for now.
Beyond the show, Frech's career as a track and field athlete and two-time Paralympian is likely to remain the main focus of his public life. His appearance on the program may bring his sport and his story to a wider audience, and that could matter for people who follow adaptive athletics. For now, the Dedication Night performance stands as the season's first perfect 10, and it remains a clear example of how a family story can carry a competition.
Questions and answers
Who is Ezra Frech's mom?
Ezra Frech's mom is Bahar Soomekh, an actress known for her role in Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. She has also appeared on television in shows including 24 and Bones.
Why did Ezra Frech and his mom get a perfect 10?
Frech, Soomekh and pro partner Daniella Karagach performed a contemporary routine on the Oct. 20 Dedication Night episode, and guest judge Kym Johnson gave it top marks. It was the first perfect 10 of Dancing With the Stars season 35.
What did Ezra Frech say about his mother?
Frech said the dance was his way of honoring his mother for what she sacrificed to raise him. He called her his best friend, therapist and life coach, and said dancing with her was the honor of a lifetime.
Is Ezra Frech a Paralympian?
Yes. Frech is a two-time Paralympian and a track and field athlete. He was born without his left knee and fibula.
Topics: Ezra Frech, Bahar Soomekh, Dancing With the Stars, Daniella Karagach, Crash, Paralympics, Love You Forever
Sources: E! News