“Dancing With the Stars” Season 35 has begun with an early upset.
Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman were eliminated in a surprising result at the close of Tuesday night’s episode, which launched the first half of the two-night Season 35 premiere.
“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 get to see her talent,” Leavitt said after the elimination. His wife, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt, finished in fifth place on the show last season.
Zaikman, who secured her first-season pro spot by winning “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,” described the opportunity to perform in the ballroom as “a dream come true.”
Before announcing the eliminated pair, co-hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro named two additional couples facing possible elimination: “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” personality Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, along with comedian Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold.
Leavitt received 12 out of 30 points for his Salsa with Zaikman to Tag Team’s “Whoop! There It Is.” The “Premiere: Night One” theme had the male celebrity contestants dance to a song that reached No. 1 in the year they were born.
“Glee” star Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson led the night’s leaderboard, collecting 21 out of 30 for their Cha Cha set to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove.”
Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach were close behind with 20 out of 30, earned for a Tango to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.”
“Bachelor Nation” alum Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess followed with 17 out of 30 for their Tango to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” During the performance, judge Derek Hough humorously referred to Cameron as “Dylan.”
Connor Wood and Arnold scored 16 out of 30 with their Cha Cha to Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It.” Musician Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart matched that total, receiving 16 out of 30 for a Quickstep to Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It.”
Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson and partner Emma Slater earned a 15/30 for their Cha Cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls while Rodriguez and partner Carson’s Cha Cha to Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” earned them a 10/30 — the lowest score of the night.
Heading into the premiere, Carson gushed about her partnership with Rodriguez, telling Page Six in an exclusive interview that Jimmy Kimmel’s beloved sidekick “is everything you want him to be.”
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, and he’s down for everything, while being naturally funny and open,” she added. “He’s a great person to have in the ballroom because we laugh and have so much fun, but he’s also such a hard worker. He is putting in the work and shows up ready to learn every day.”
Carson also admitted that “there was definitely come hesitation in agreeing to do this season” while pregnant with her third child, but that the challenge has kept her working hard” and is “pushing” her in all the right ways.
“This season I’m all about empowerment, for myself and for other women, because we can do anything,” she explained. “One of my biggest priorities for this season is to show all moms that we don’t have to lose parts of ourselves to grow a family.”
“DWTS” continues Wednesday night as the female celebrities and their pro partners take to the floor during “Premiere: Night Two.” The ladies will also be performing a chart-topper from their birth year.
Following this week’s two-night premiere event, new episodes of “DWTS” will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and streaming on Hulu the following day.
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