Two contestants eliminated after first two nights of Dancing With the Stars season 35
Influencer Sarah Jane Nader and reality star Conner Leavitt were the first two celebrities voted off the revived competition, while technical issues disrupted online voting during the premiere.
Season 35 of the ABC dance competition began with a mixed cast of reality personalities, actors, athletes and musicians. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli evaluated the performances, while Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returned as hosts.
The first elimination occurred on Tuesday when "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman received a total of 12 out of 30 points for a salsa routine and were voted off. Leavitt said, "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." 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."
Wednesday saw the second departure when influencer Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills earned 14 out of 30 points for a jive to Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" but failed to secure enough combined judge scores and viewer votes. Nader remarked, "I think that us being on this ballroom floor together as two women is just so powerful. 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."
Technical problems halted the online voting system during the Tuesday live show. Julianne Hough informed viewers that online voting was temporarily unavailable and suggested texting votes, and Alfonso Ribeiro later confirmed that only text votes would count for that night. The online system was restored for Wednesday's episode.
Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson and Maura Higgins with Mark Ballas tied for the highest leaderboard points after the two-night premiere, each accumulating 21 points.
The series will continue on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, with episodes also streaming the following day.