Tyler Cameron Honors His Mother While Competing on DWTS

Former The Bachelorette contestant Tyler Cameron is using his run on Dancing With the Stars season 35 to honor his late mother, Andrea Cameron, while preparing for a dedication performance alongside professional partner Sharna Burgess. His fiancée, Tate Madden, has also become an important part of his training, helping him practice choreography and overcome his discomfort with performing. The couple is preparing to share the ballroom during Dedication Night.

Andrea died in February 2020, two days after being taken to a hospital at age 55. Her cause of death was later identified as a brain aneurysm. Cameron previously shared hospital photographs of his brothers, Austin and Ryan, holding their mother's hand and asked the public to respect the family's privacy as they grieved.

In his original tribute, Cameron wrote, "Today heaven gained an angel," followed by a message about remembering his mother and celebrating her life.

He explained that participating in the dance competition fulfills something his mother had encouraged him to pursue after he joined The Bachelorette.

"I mean, mine’s for my mom. You know, this is about honoring her," Cameron told Us Weekly after the show's premiere.

He recalled her enthusiasm for the opportunity and her belief that he would do well on the program.

"She would have pushed me to do this show. Right when I got The Bachelorette, she was like, ‘You should go do Dancing With the Stars. You’d be amazing.’" Cameron said.

He also described how much he wished she could witness his performance.

"So, to be here to do this, I wish she was here watching this because this would have made my mom probably the happiest I could have ever made [her]," he said.

After another episode, Cameron said he imagined his mother's reaction to his progress in the competition.

"My mom would be kicking and screaming and yelling. She’d be thrilled," Cameron told Us Weekly.

Burgess, who is returning to the show as a professional dancer, described the emotional response to Cameron's comments from the judges.

"Them [getting] emotional at the judges’ table was making me emotional, and then it was just an emotional thing. I’m just so proud of you, and I’m so glad we got to do that," Burgess said.

For Dedication Night, Cameron selected Ed Sheeran's song Supermarket Flowers for a routine honoring his mother and other mothers who have died or remain important figures in their families. Madden is also scheduled to participate in the performance.

In a video shared by the official Dancing With the Stars Instagram account, Cameron reflected on the lasting effects of losing his mother.

"I lost my mom to a brain aneurysm back in 2020. Just like that, she was gone," he said.

He described grief as an ongoing experience rather than something that ends after a set period.

"It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through. You never stop going through it. You still grieve even to this day, almost seven years later.

It’s going to be an emotional night … This is for the mom’s out there. Not just my mom but for the moms that we love and also the moms that we miss. I’m very excited to do this.

This is not just my mom, this is all those important moms because a boy always needs his mom," Cameron said.

Outside the competition, Cameron and Madden's relationship has developed over several years. Both are from Jupiter, Florida, and initially met through a mutual friend before working together on Cameron's home renovation series, Going Home with Tyler Cameron. Madden contributed promotional photography and social media work for the project.

Madden described their first encounter during an appearance on Casual Chaos with Gia Giudice, explaining that a friend's invitation to spend time on a boat led to their meeting.

"If you ask Tyler, he does not remember meeting me. And we had a very long conversation that night," Madden said.

The couple later discussed how long they had known each other before working together. Cameron recalled that they had known each other for a "few months," while Madden estimated it was "like two years." She also clarified her understanding of their early connection.

"He thought I met him when I started helping him for the show," Madden said.

In December 2022, Madden publicly joked about their relationship while responding to a TikTok question about whether they were dating.

"We are not dating. I actually work for Tyler," she said, before joking that he wanted her to become his girlfriend. Cameron responded, "Are you out of your goddamn gourd?"

According to E! News, the pair went on their first date in September 2023, when they had dinner for Madden's birthday. Cameron acknowledged dating someone in April 2024 without identifying Madden publicly.

In July 2024, he explained to Entertainment Tonight why he wanted to keep the relationship private.

"She’s a great girl. It’s something that we’ve been working on and keeping private," Cameron said.

He described the pressure that public attention could place on a developing relationship.

"With social media, anytime you post something or you post your relationship it becomes now everyone’s chance to comment on it and have their views on it," he said.

He added that he and his partner wanted to establish a strong foundation before sharing more details publicly.

"That’s a stage we’ll cross eventually. But right now it’s better to just build a good, strong relationship," Cameron said.

The couple went public in September 2024 during an Amazon Live video, and they also confirmed they were living together. Madden subsequently shared photographs of them spending time in France.

Cameron proposed to Madden on a Florida beach in August 2026. He later described the experience to People, explaining that he had prepared remarks but struggled to remember them in the moment.

"The proposal was nerve-wracking because everything I wanted to say was gone," Cameron said.

He explained that writing down his speech had been intended to help him deliver his message despite his nerves.

"no matter what, but it all left me. I freaked out," he said.

As Cameron continued preparing for the competition, Madden began attending rehearsals and helping him practice at home. During an appearance on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, he described how the arrangement worked with Burgess.

"This is my dream team right here. Literally wake up in the mornings, dance with Tate, send me off to Sharna, and then I come back home to my dance mom, which is Tate, and then she gives — I get homework from Sharna and Tate coaches me up. So this is right here, an amazing team," Cameron said.

Madden said she enjoyed participating in his preparation and supporting him throughout the experience.

"I love getting to go to practice with you, I love being here for you… I’m just so excited to be here for you and to support you," she said.

Burgess also recalled the challenges of teaching Cameron the more physically expressive elements of ballroom dancing during the competition's second week. She described how she and Madden encouraged him to become more comfortable with movement and physical contact during rehearsals.

"I will never forget, dude, Week 2. When literally Tate and I are in the room, sitting on the floor, yelling at you to touch your own body and move your hips. I was like, ‘I actually have to teach this man to be sexy?

What do you mean?’ Everyone is so misinformed," Burgess said.

Madden remembered that Cameron initially struggled to perform some of the choreography confidently.

"He couldn’t touch Sharna, he couldn’t touch himself. I’m like, ‘Touch something!’" she said.

She described another moment when he hesitated during a move involving Burgess's leg.

"Right when I got here, I think it was, he had to touch your leg and he was like, had one finger gliding up your leg. I was like, ‘Grab her leg! Touch it, dance the dance!’" Madden said.

Burgess said the rehearsals eventually helped Cameron become more comfortable with the movements, despite the initial awkwardness.

"It was so awkward and weird. We did get there in the end. It was very interesting that we had to coach you to be sexy.

And what is so wild is I think some people watched salsa Week 2 and they just assumed that was you living your best Belmont life. Touching your body and grooving. They had no idea there were hours that went into getting you to even move that much," Burgess said.

Cameron acknowledged that performing required him to work through personal insecurities and become more comfortable expressing himself in front of an audience.

"It’s part of that whole performing and letting go that’s so different and uncomfortable for me, which is what I’ve been trying to grow and learn and get better at," he said.

Cameron is continuing his season 35 run with Burgess, while Madden remains involved in his preparation and is set to join him for the dedication performance honoring mothers.