Dancing with the Stars
DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 35 Premiere: Which Male Impressed on Night One? Who Was Sent Home?
Dancing With the Stars season 35 got underway with their September 15 premiere on ABC, which for the first time split the male and female celebrity contestants over two nights.
So, night one saw 8 male celebs with their pro partners hitting the ballroom dance floor with their first routines of the competition. Tonight on September 16 (8pm ET/7pm CT), the women take to the dance floor with their pro partners.
For night one, the male stars performed dances to a number #1 hit from the year they were born. By the end of the night, one couple was sent packing by the combined judges scores (Bruno, Derek and Carrie Ann) and the viewers text votes only, because for the first time live, the voting at ABC.com was not working. Throughout the night, hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough would remind viewers to text their votes.
When the smoke cleared, there were definitely some early favorites, chief among them Paralympian Ezra Frech who wowed everyone, Harry Shum Jr., although we all expected the Grey’s Anatomy star to cut a rug on the dance floor with his longtime dance background, and even ‘Bachelorette’ alum, Tyler Cameron showed promise. Let’s run down night one of the competition and give a recap of gents performances alongside their scores, and in case you missed it, the video of their routine.
Photo: ABC
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater — 15/30
Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson and his partner Emma Slater were first up. Emma was thrilled that she wasn’t saddled (although she would not say it that way) with another older man who can’t dance. Instead, she got Jackson who is just 28-years old and is athletic and a showman.
The duo performed the cha-cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. While their were some on-point moves, at other times it felt like Jackkon was just selling it to the audience with his looks and expressions, when the judges also wanted him to be more locked-in on his feet.
Judge Derek Hough explained to Olson, “The bottom half (of your body) needs a lot of work. The upper half, I quite enjoyed, actually. Let’s marry the performance with technique.”
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess — 17/30
Having played football and being very tall, ‘Bachelorette’ alum Tyler Cameron revealed to pro partner Sharna Burgess, that he actually took some dance classes in his high school/college days. Burgess is back on the ballroom floor after five years away from the show. Together, they performed a Tango, to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are you Going to Go my Way.” Tyler delivered much promise.
Bruno Tonioli commented, “I’m very pleasantly surprised. He looks like a tank. I thought he as going to crash. In fact, you can move, man. You have natural musicality. A few hiccups here and there, but you have so much potential.”
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman — 12/30
The husband of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Season 35 contestant,Whitney Leavitt, felt compelled to enter the competition to bring his dad vibe/magician experience and humor to his dancing, so he says.
Conner was paired with Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro winner Adele Zaikman, and they danced a salsa for premiere night. They performed to “Whoomp! There It Is!” by Tag Team. Needless to say, his dance moves and mugging to the camera needed vast improvement.
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson — 10/30
Jimmy Kimmel‘s sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson did a cha-cha for his first performance. While he didn’t move much, he somehow got over with the judges and the audience.
Rodriguez and Carson performed to “Mr. Big Stuff’ by Jean Knight. In the judges scores, Rodriguez received 3’s from Derek and Bruno while Inaba was a bit more generous with a 4. Needless to say, Guillermo scored at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach — 20/30
Paralympian Ezra Frech, who wears a prosthetic leg and only has two fingers on his left hand, along with his pro partner Daniella Karagach took to the dance floor in one of the most highly-anticipated out of the gate performances for the season premiere. They performed the tango to Kelly Clarkson‘s “Since U Been Gone.”
After a beautiful routine and performance, Carrie Ann Inaba expressed, “This is why I love Dancing With the Stars. This is what’s so special about our show. Showing people what’s possible in the face of adversity. Showing people new ways to move. Outside the box thinking. Outside the box moving.” Inaba also gave massive props to Karagach for “redefining” how Frech could move while doing the tango steps with a prosthetic leg. Carrie Ann said she was, “In awe!”
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold — 16/30
Connor Wood, a comedian and podcaster, who is big on TikTok teamed with Rylee Arnold for their cha-cha to Tim McGraw‘s “I Like It, I Love It.”
Wood, who is from Texas, wanted to put a little two-stepping into the cha-cha and they did so. Wood did better than expected with Derek Hough sharing, “The performance is amazing, but let’s not forget the technique.”
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart — 16/30
Singer Taylor Hanson from the OG brothers/boy band Hanson, danced a quickstep with his partner Britt Stewart. They performed to Tell Her About It by Billy Joel. There was a distinct mishap in the routine where Derek Hough cited Hanson for a “great save,” and gave Taylor constructive criticism to improve his frame, but added, “You should be really happy, man, great first dance.”
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson — 21/30
The final performance of the night came from Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, who danced a cha-cha. Shum, who came to Dancing with the Stars from having danced during his time on the hit series Glee, and as a backup dancer for the likes of Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey and so much more, was ready to close night one in a big way.
Harry and Jenna danced to “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire. To us, Shum was a little too over the top with his moves, but that does not take away that he is the one of the most obvious threats to take home the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy by season’s end.
Carrie Ann told Harry, “You are so electric when you perform. You light it up. But I’m going to call you out. You gotta watch where your axis, where your weight is. Don’t over-exaggerate the moves. That’s not always correct.” In the end, Shum scored 21/30, the highest scores of the night from the judges.
ELIMINATION TIME
When it was time for the results, five couples were announced as safe: Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart, Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess.
Three were left remaining: Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, and Conner Leavit and Adele Zaikman. Then, it was revealed that the couple being eliminated is Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman. And, we are just fine with that result!
So, what did you think of night one of season 35 of Dancing with the Stars? Which male contestant impressed you the most? Do you think the right guy was sent packing? Let us know your picks and thoughs via the comment section below.
The official reveal of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Season 35 celebrity cast and their professional dance partners were announced on this morning on September 2 on Good Morning America.
General Hospital’s Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain), a former DTWS contestant, was one of the hosts of the introduction of the full cast this morning on GMA, where Mathison has also been a celebrity correspondent throughout his career.
The ballroom-dance competition will once again be co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, with judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli also returning. While there has been four previously released celebrity contestants, the full list was released today which includes: a former Y&R actress in Tatyana Ali (ex-Roxanne), double Paralympic gold medalist and American track and field athlete, Ezra French, Grey’s Anatomy’s Harry Shum Jr. and actress Julia Stiles.
Photo: ABC
The two-night Dancing with the Stars premiere event takes place Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept 16, at 8pm EST/7pm PST. on ABC and Disney+ and streams the next day on Hulu.
WHO’S COMPETING FOR THE LEN GOODMAN MIRROR BALL TROPHY?
Take a look at the celebrity contestants and their pro partners below.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Tatyana Ali with partner Jan Ravnik
TV personality and host Tyler Cameron with partner Sharna Burgess
Celebrity chef and host Giada De Laurentiis with partner Alan Bersten
Star of The Rookie Jenna Dewan with partner Val Chmerkovskiy
Paralympian gold medalist Ezra Frech with partner Daniella Karagach
Olympian gold medalist Amber Glenn with partner Pasha Pashkov
From “Hanson” Taylor Hanson with partner Britt Stewart
Reality star and model Maura Higgins with partner Mark Ballas
From The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Conner Leavitt with partner Adele Zaikman
Reality star and host Ciara Miller with partner Brandon Armstrong
From Love Thy Nader Sarah Jane Nader with partner Hailey Bills
“Savannah Bananas” star Jackson Olson with partner Emma Slater
From Jimmy Kimmel Live Guillermo Rodriguez with partner Witney Carson
From Grey’s Anatomy Harry Shum Jr. with partner Jenna Johnson
Film and TV star Julia Stiles with partner Ezra Sosa
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with partner Rylee Arnold
Photo: ABC
DANCING WITH THE STARS COMPANION SHOWS WITH ANDY RICHTER AND ROBERT IRWIN
In addition, the Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast returns for a second season with a new host, Season 34 contestant Andy Richter, sharing cast interviews, special guests, behind-the-scenes insights and expert breakdowns of the performances, beginning on Thursday, September 10 with episodes airing every Thursday on Disney+ and Hulu, and wherever you get your podcasts.
And for more, season 34 Mirrorball Champion Robert Irwin, will preside over the “DWTS After Party” which finds viewers immediately following “Premiere: Night Two,” checking in with eliminated contestants and breaking down the best moments with “DWTS” alumni with never-before-seen footage and special teases. The aftershow airs live beginning on Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC and Disney+ and streams next day on Hulu.
Four members of the cast were previously revealed as mentioned above: Higgins and Miller were introduced at Hulu’s Get Real event in April. Olson was announced in May, and Rodriguez was announced in June on Jimmy Kimmel Live! by Kimmel himself.
So, what do you think of the cast of season 34 of Dancing with the Stars? Does it intrigue you enough to make you check-in and see the new line-up hit the ballroom dance floor? Who do you wish was competing on the celebrity side that is not? Who do you think on paper looks to have the edge in the competition? Let us know via the comment section below. But first, you can check out GH’s Cameron Mathison and company asking the new cast of DWTS questions and their reactions for the upcoming new season.
UPDATED: ‘Bachelor Nation’ favorite Tyler Cameron is one of two new additions to the cast of Dancing with the Stars upcoming season 35. Cameron will hit the ballroom dance floor and so too will dancer/actress Jenna Dewan.
Cameron is best known as the runner-up in Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette, the winner of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and starred in his own Amazon Prime home renovation series, Going Home with Tyler Cameron.
Tyler’s casting comes five years after his best friend and former ‘Bachelor’ lead Matt James competed for the Mirror Ball Trophy with pro Lindsay Arnold on season 30. US broke the casting news.
Photo: JPI
FULL DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 35 CAST REVEAL ON GMA
Dewan is best known for starring as Nora Clark in the 2006 dance film Step Up and for her television roles in Supergirl!, The Rookie, and The Witches of Eastwick to name but a few. Jenna began her career as a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson, Pink, Missy Elliott, and Christina Aguilera before moving into acting.
The full cast of Dancing with the Stars is set to be revealed including pros and celebrity contestants on the September 2 episode of Good Morning America. However, already confirmed are: “Summer House” star Ciara Miller, “Love Island UK” alum Maura Higgins, ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ sidekick and comedian Guillermo Rodriguez and Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson.
Thursday evening August 20, TMZ is now reporting that actresses Julia Stiles and Tatyana Ali have also joined the cast. Ali is remembered in the recurring role of Roxanne on The Young and the Restless from 2007 to 2013.
Last season’s Mirror Ball Trophy went to Robert Irwin, the wildlife conservationist and son of the iconic Steve Irwin, and his pro partner Witney Carson. Dancing with the Stars hopes to repeat the success of season 24 which had stellar ratings in 2025.
Dancing With the Stars season 35 kicks off with a back-to-back premiered on ABC and Disney+ starting Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
So, who else would you like to see join the celebrity cast of Dancing with the Stars? Share your picks via the comment section below.
Breaking News
2026 Primetime Emmy Nominations: ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Score Among Early Categories
Wednesday Morning on the Today Show, the 78th Primetime Emmy Nominations kicked off with the announcement of two categories: Outstanding Variety Series and Outstanding Reality Competition Program. The remainder of the nominations will be announced beginning at 8:30am PT from the Television Academy.
However, General Hospital’s guest star, John Oliver (also soon to be seen on Days of Our Lives) received a nomination for his HBO talk show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in the Outstanding Variety Series category.
Oliver who just wrapped his on-screen run as the head of the WSB named Z, will compete for the gold statuette with The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live.
DANCING WITH THE STARS FIRST NOMINATION IN A DECADE
In addition, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars received its first nomination in the Outstanding Reality Competition Program category in ten years on the strength of its massively popular season 34 which featured: Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles, Alix Earle, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt and the Mirrorball Trophy winner Robert Irwin.
Dancing with the Stars faces off with RuPaul’s Drag Race, Survivor, Top Chef and The Traitors for the reality competition prize.
Photo: ABC
Winners of the 2026 Emmy Awards will be announced on Monday, September 14 in ceremonies on NBC at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Longtime Law & Order SVU favorite: Mariska Hargitay has been named the host, and the first female to do so in over 15 years.
So, happy to hear John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight and Dancing with the Stars nabbed early nominations for this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards? Let us know via the comment section below.
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