Dancing with the Stars Season 35 Opens with Two-Night Premiere, First Elimination

Dancing with the Stars returned for its thirty-fifth season on Tuesday, September 15, with the first half of a two-night premiere event on ABC and Disney+. The season opener featured eight male celebrities performing for the first time, competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

The two-night premiere format divided the sixteen competing couples into two groups. The male celebrities danced on Tuesday, while the female celebrities will perform on Wednesday, September 16. Each night concludes with an elimination.

Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returned to lead the broadcast. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli also returned to the judging panel.

Night one featured a theme where each celebrity danced to a number one song from the year they were born. The episode opened with a special performance choreographed by Julianne Hough.

Technical Issues Disrupt Voting

During the live broadcast, co-host Julianne Hough announced that online voting on ABC com was experiencing technical difficulties. Viewers were instructed to vote only via text message for the remainder of the show. Host Alfonso Ribeiro later stated that the show received double the votes compared to the previous season’s premiere despite the glitch.

A further complication arose from two contestants sharing the same first name. Voters were required to text either Conner L. or Connor W. to cast their votes, and votes without the correct specification would not count.

Harry Shum Jr. Tops Leaderboard

Harry Shum Jr., known for his roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Glee, earned the highest score of the night. Shum and his professional partner Jenna Johnson performed a cha-cha to Let’s Groove by Earth, Wind & Fire. The pair received a score of 21 out of 30.

Shum is currently in production on Grey’s Anatomy while competing on the dance competition series.

Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech delivered the second-highest score of the evening. Frech and his partner Daniella Karagach performed a tango to Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson, earning 20 out of 30. Frech, a track and field athlete who won two gold medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, was born without most of his left leg and with missing fingers on his left hand. Judge Bruno Tonioli said Frech looked like a leading man.

Scores and Performances

Tyler Cameron, a former Bachelorette contestant, and his partner Sharna Burgess scored 17 for their tango to Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz. Burgess returned to the show after a five-year absence.

Comedian Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold earned 16 for their cha-cha to I Like It, I Love It by Tim McGraw. Musician Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart also scored 16 for their quickstep to Tell Her About It by Billy Joel.

Jackson Olson, a Savannah Bananas baseball player, and Emma Slater received 15 for their cha-cha to Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Judge Derek Hough called Olson a natural born performer.

Guillermo Rodriguez, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick, and his partner Witney Carson received the lowest score of the night, earning 10 points for their cha-cha to Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight. Despite the low score, the audience chanted Rodriguez’s name after his performance.

Witney Carson is competing while in her second trimester of pregnancy, making her the first professional dancer on the show to compete that far along in a pregnancy.

Conner Leavitt Eliminated

Conner Leavitt and his partner Adele Zaikman were eliminated at the end of night one. The pair performed a salsa to Whoomp! There It Is by Tag Team, receiving a score of 12. Zaikman is the winner of the spin-off competition Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.

Leavitt said after the elimination, ‘This has been the most fun. I have the greatest dance partner in the world in Adele. I can’t wait for the world to see her talent.’

Leavitt is the husband of Whitney Leavitt, who competed on season 34 of the show.

What’s Next

The second night of the premiere airs Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. The eight female celebrities will make their ballroom debuts, performing to number one songs from their birth years. One female celebrity will be eliminated at the end of the episode.

Following the two-night premiere, Dancing with the Stars will move to its regular Tuesday night timeslot at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes will stream the following day on Hulu.