Dancing With the Stars First Elimination After Glitch

The Dancing With the Stars first elimination of Season 35 arrived with an unexpected twist Tuesday night after a technical problem disrupted the show’s voting system. Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman became the first couple eliminated from the competition, ending their run after just one performance.

The elimination came during a premiere that was already unusual. Instead of waiting until the following week to send contestants home, the new season opened with a two-night format that includes an elimination on each night. The first episode featured the male celebrities, while the female contestants were scheduled to perform on Wednesday.

However, the voting system quickly became the biggest talking point of the night.

Dancing With the Stars Voting System Crashes

During the live premiere, viewers were told that online voting through ABC.com was experiencing technical problems.

Co-host Julianne Hough announced the issue during the broadcast and asked viewers to use text messaging instead. Later, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro confirmed that the online voting problem had continued and said online votes for the first night would not be counted. Text votes therefore became the only valid viewer votes for the episode.

The disruption created an unusual situation for contestants competing on one of the most viewer-driven shows on television.

Voting is an important part of the competition because audience support is combined with judges’ scores when determining which couples are at risk. With online voting unavailable, viewers had to change how they participated in the process during a live broadcast.

The technical issue also added uncertainty to an already high-pressure premiere.

Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman Eliminated

When the results were revealed, Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman were sent home.

Leavitt, known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, performed a salsa with Zaikman during the premiere. The pair received 12 points out of a possible 30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. Their score placed them near the bottom of the leaderboard.

The elimination marked a difficult start for Zaikman, who was making her debut as a professional dancer on the main show after winning Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro. For Leavitt, the result meant his time in the competition ended almost immediately after it began.

Despite the disappointment, Leavitt said he was grateful for the experience and praised his professional partner.

He also addressed the voting controversy surrounding the episode. According to reports, Leavitt said he did not believe the technical problems had unfairly determined his elimination.

A Challenging Night for the Season 35 Premiere

The voting problem was not the only unexpected moment during the opening episode.

The premiere featured several celebrities taking their first steps onto the ballroom floor, including Tyler Cameron, Ezra Frech, Taylor Hanson, Jackson Olson, Guillermo Rodriguez, Harry Shum Jr. and Connor Wood.

Tyler Cameron, known for The Bachelorette, earned a 17 out of 30 for his tango with Sharna Burgess. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson led the leaderboard with 21 points, while Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach followed with 20.

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson received the night’s lowest judges’ score, earning 10 points. Despite that result, they survived the first elimination.

That outcome demonstrated why judges’ scores alone do not determine who stays in the competition.

Why the Voting Glitch Mattered

The Dancing With the Stars first elimination normally combines judges’ evaluations with viewer participation. That makes the voting process especially important during a premiere, when audiences are meeting the contestants for the first time.

This season, however, the technical failure meant fans had to rely on text messaging.

The show’s hosts repeatedly encouraged viewers to vote through text while the online system remained unavailable. The change was announced during the live broadcast rather than before the episode began, meaning some viewers may have already been attempting to use the website when the problem occurred.

The incident also highlighted how dependent live competition programs have become on digital voting infrastructure.

For contestants, every vote can matter. For viewers, the ability to participate is part of the appeal of watching a live competition unfold in real time.

Season 35 Begins With a Double Elimination

The format itself has increased the pressure on this year’s contestants.

Season 35 opened with two premiere episodes, with the male celebrities performing on September 15 and the female celebrities taking the ballroom floor on September 16. One celebrity from each group is scheduled to be eliminated during premiere week.

The approach is unusual for the series and means contestants have almost no opportunity to recover from a weak opening performance.

Leavitt and Zaikman were therefore eliminated after only one competitive routine.

For the remaining couples, the format creates an immediate challenge. Contestants must establish a connection with viewers and impress the judges almost instantly, without having several weeks to build momentum.

What Happens Next on Dancing With the Stars

With Leavitt and Zaikman out of the competition, the remaining celebrities will continue their battle for the Mirrorball Trophy.

The second night of the premiere shifts attention to the female celebrities, including Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles, Tatyana Ali, Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Amber Glenn and Giada De Laurentiis.

Another elimination is expected at the end of the second episode, completing the unusual opening-week format.

Meanwhile, the voting glitch from Night 1 has added an unexpected chapter to the beginning of Season 35. The show’s first elimination has already demonstrated how quickly the competition can change, especially when a technical problem forces producers and viewers to adjust in real time.

For Leavitt and Zaikman, their journey is over after one dance. For everyone else, the competition has only just begun.