‘DWTS’ Season 35 Sends Conner Leavitt Home First

Dancing With the Stars opened Season 35 with an unusually fast goodbye. Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman became the first couple eliminated after the male celebrities performed during Tuesday’s half of a two-night premiere.

Leavitt, known through The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and his marriage to former contestant Whitney Leavitt, danced a salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).” The judges gave the routine 12 points out of 30. The performance brought enthusiasm to the ballroom, but its timing and salsa technique did not hold together strongly enough to keep the pair in the competition.

A voting glitch complicated premiere night

The elimination arrived after the live show encountered a technical problem with online voting. Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough told viewers that votes submitted through the ABC website would not count, leaving text messages as the valid voting method for the night.

That created an extra wrinkle because the cast includes both Conner Leavitt and comedian Connor Wood. Viewers had to distinguish between “Conner L.” and “Connor W.” in their texts. The show moved ahead with the results despite the disruption, and Leavitt was sent home after one dance.

Harry Shum Jr. led the first scores

Actor Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson closed the show with the highest score of the evening, earning 21 out of 30 for their cha-cha. Paralympian Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach followed with 20 points for a tango adapted around Frech’s running blade.

Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess scored 17 for their tango, while Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold earned 16 for a country-themed cha-cha. Musician Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart also received 16 for a demanding opening-week quickstep.

The premiere format split the 16-person cast by gender, with the men dancing Tuesday and the women scheduled for Wednesday. Leavitt and Zaikman are expected to return for the second-night afterparty, but their run for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy ended before the full cast had taken its first competitive turn.