Dancing With the Stars is back for Season 35 — but two celebrities’ bids for the mirror ball trophy have already come to an end.
The ABC show kicked off Tuesday night with a new group of celebrities hoping to follow in the footsteps of Season 34 champion Robert Irwin.
This year’s cast includes reality TV stars, actors, athletes, musicians and familiar faces from across the entertainment industry, including Summer House star Ciara Miller, 10 Things I Hate About You actor Julia Stiles, The Traitors’ Maura Higgins and singer Taylor Hanson.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli are back at the judges’ table, with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returning as hosts for their fourth consecutive season.
But after two nights of performances — and two eliminations — the competition has already narrowed. So, who was the latest celebrity sent home? Here’s what happened.
Who was eliminated from ‘Dancing With the Stars’ last night?
Influencer Sarah Jane Nader and her professional partner, Hailey Bills, became the second pair eliminated from Season 35 on Wednesday.
The pair performed a jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi,” earning a total score of 14 out of 30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills were sent home from DWTS.
(Eric McCandless via Getty Images)
Their score was combined with viewer votes, but it wasn’t enough to secure them a place in week two.
Nader and Bills were the third same-sex pairing to appear in the show’s 35-season run. “I think that us being on this ballroom floor together as two women is just so powerful,” Nader said after her routine. “And I hope that it shows you can dance with whoever you want, you can love whoever you want, and being yourself is the best power.”
The influencer’s sister, Brooks, competed on DWTS in 2024 and finished in ninth place.
Who was the 1st celebrity eliminated from ‘Dancing With the Stars’?
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman were the first pair eliminated from Season 35 during Tuesday’s opening night.
They performed a salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is),” receiving 4s from all three judges for a total score of 12 out of 30.
“This has been the most fun,” Leavitt said after being voted off. “I have the greatest dance partner in the world in Adele. I can’t wait for the world to get to see her talent.”
Zaikman added, “It’s a dream come true no matter what, and I’m so lucky that I had Conner. I had so much fun, and thank you so much for everything.”
What happened with ‘Dancing With the Stars’ voting?
Tuesday night’s premiere was hit by technical problems when the show’s online voting system crashed during the live broadcast.
Julianne Hough initially told viewers that online voting was temporarily unavailable and encouraged them to vote by text. Alfonso Ribeiro later announced that online votes would be thrown out for the night, meaning only votes submitted by text would count.
Online voting was restored for Wednesday’s episode.
Who topped the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ leaderboard?
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, and Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, finished premiere week tied at the top of the leaderboard with 21 points each.
Shum and Johnson earned their score Tuesday for a cha cha to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove.”
Higgins and Ballas matched them Wednesday with a foxtrot to Alannah Myles’s “Black Velvet.”
When is ‘Dancing With the Stars’ on again?
Following the two-night premiere, Dancing With the Stars returns to its regular schedule Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
Episodes are available to stream the following day on Hulu.