“Dancing With the Stars” Season 35 wasted no time raising the stakes. During the first night of its two-part premiere on September 15, Conner Leavitt became the first celebrity eliminated, ending his ballroom journey after just one performance.
Leavitt, known for appearing on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” was partnered with new professional dancer Adele Zaikman. Zaikman earned her place as a pro after winning the first season of “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.”
For their debut, Leavitt and Zaikman performed a salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).” The premiere-night theme had each male celebrity dancing to a song that reached No. 1 during the year he was born.
The judges were not completely convinced by the routine. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each awarded the pair a 4, leaving Leavitt with a total score of 12 out of 30.
Leavitt was not actually at the very bottom of the leaderboard. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” personality Guillermo Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson received the night’s lowest total with 10 out of 30 for their cha-cha.
The elimination came after Leavitt and Zaikman were revealed to be in danger alongside Rodriguez and Carson, as well as comedian Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold. When the final result was announced, it was Leavitt and Zaikman whose names were called.
The premiere was made even more dramatic by a major technical problem involving viewer voting. ABC’s online voting system experienced difficulties during the live show, forcing producers to discard online votes submitted that evening and rely on text-message votes instead.
The problem understandably generated frustration among some viewers because an elimination was taking place that same night. Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro repeatedly informed the audience about the issue and instructed viewers to use text voting for the remainder of the episode.
Elsewhere in the ballroom, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson delivered the highest-scoring performance of Night One. Their cha-cha to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove” earned 21 out of 30, putting them at the top of the male contestants’ leaderboard.
Paralympic champion Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach followed closely with 20 out of 30 for their tango to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Tyler Cameron and returning pro Sharna Burgess also made a strong start, scoring 17 out of 30 for their tango.
After being eliminated, Leavitt remained positive about his brief experience and praised Zaikman as an exceptional dance partner. His exit was particularly disappointing for Zaikman because her long-awaited debut as a full professional ended after only one competitive routine.
The premiere-week drama is not finished yet. Season 35 continues on September 16 with the eight female celebrities making their ballroom debuts, and ABC has confirmed that another contestant will be eliminated at the end of Night Two—meaning two celebrities will be gone before the season reaches its first regular Tuesday episode.
