Conner Leavitt Eliminated from Dancing With the Stars after the Season 35 premiere’s first night, ending his competition alongside professional partner Adele Zaikman after their salsa earned 12 points from the judges. The result came during the first half of the show’s unusual two-night premiere, with the remaining female celebrities scheduled to perform on the second night.
Leavitt and Zaikman danced to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is)” on Tuesday, September 15. Although Leavitt brought plenty of energy to the ballroom, the judges’ scores and viewer voting combined to send the couple home. The elimination also made Leavitt the first celebrity contestant removed from Season 35.
Conner Leavitt Eliminated With Adele Zaikman in Season 35 Premiere
Leavitt entered Season 35 with significant familiarity with the show. His wife, Whitney Leavitt, competed on Season 34 with professional dancer Mark Ballas and reached the semifinals.
For Conner, the new season represented a different role. Instead of supporting his wife from the sidelines, he became one of the celebrities competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
His professional partner was Adele Zaikman, who joined the main professional cast after winning Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro. The pair had been preparing together before the premiere, with Whitney also offering her husband feedback during rehearsals.
Their first and only performance was a salsa set to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).” The routine received 12 points out of 30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Leavitt and Zaikman were subsequently placed in danger alongside Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson and Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold. After the voting process was combined with the judges’ results, Leavitt and Zaikman were eliminated.
The departure happened after only one competitive performance.
Why Conner Leavitt Was Eliminated
The judges’ score of 12 out of 30 put Leavitt toward the lower end of the Night One leaderboard. His score was made up of four points from each judge.
However, the judges’ scores alone did not determine the elimination.
Season 35 uses a combination of judges’ scores and viewer votes to determine which couples continue. That distinction was especially important during the first night because Guillermo Rodriguez received an even lower judges’ score of 10 out of 30 but survived the elimination.
The voting process also encountered a technical problem during the live broadcast. Online voting on ABC’s website experienced an outage, and viewers were told that online votes would ultimately not count for the first night. Text votes were used for the Night One elimination instead.
Because the result combines performance scores with audience voting, the judges’ leaderboard does not by itself determine who goes home.
For Leavitt and Zaikman, the 12-point performance was therefore followed by the end of their Season 35 run.
Conner Leavitt’s DWTS Performance and Score
Leavitt performed a salsa with Zaikman during a premiere designed around songs that reached No. 1 in the year each celebrity contestant was born.
The performance gave viewers their first opportunity to see Leavitt compete as a full-time celebrity contestant after his previous appearances around Whitney’s Season 34 journey.
The final score was:
| Couple | Dance | Song | Judges’ Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman | Salsa | “Whoomp! (There It Is)” — Tag Team | 12/30 |
Leavitt’s score was below several of the other male contestants on Night One. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson finished the night with 21 points, while Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach received 20.
Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess scored 17, while Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold and Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart each earned 16. Jackson Olson and Emma Slater received 15.
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson had the lowest judges’ score of the evening at 10 but remained in the competition following the audience voting component.
Who Is Conner Leavitt?
Conner Leavitt is known to television audiences through Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. He has also worked as a performer, producer and creator.
ABC’s biography identifies Leavitt as a performer, producer and creator who has developed projects with his wife through Leavitt Media House. He also recently appeared in the off-Broadway production 11 to Midnight.
His connection to Dancing With the Stars became particularly notable because of Whitney Leavitt’s participation in the previous season.
Whitney competed on Season 34 and became one of the season’s recognizable personalities. Conner previously appeared in connection with her DWTS journey, including participating in a trio performance.
Before Season 35 began, Whitney discussed supporting her husband as he prepared for his own competition. She said she watched rehearsal videos and gave him feedback while encouraging him to enjoy the experience.
That family connection became one of the central storylines surrounding Conner’s participation.
Who Was Conner Leavitt’s DWTS Partner?
Adele Zaikman partnered with Leavitt for Season 35.
Zaikman entered the season with a major achievement already attached to her name. She won the inaugural season of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, the competition that determined a new professional dancer for the main series.
Her promotion to the main show put her in the ballroom for her first regular season as a professional partner.
Although Leavitt’s elimination ended their celebrity-pro partnership after one routine, he praised Zaikman following the result.
Leavitt expressed gratitude for the experience and highlighted his appreciation for Zaikman as his partner. Zaikman also described the opportunity positively after the elimination.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Cast
Season 35 began with 16 celebrity contestants, representing television, film, music, sports, reality programming and social media.
The original Season 35 pairings announced by ABC included:
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik
- Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess
- Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach
- Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov
- Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas
- Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman
- Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong
- Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills
- Jackson Olson and Emma Slater
- Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold
Following Leavitt’s elimination, 15 couples remained in the competition entering the second night of the premiere.
What Happened to the DWTS Voting System?
Voting became an important part of the Season 35 premiere because the online system experienced technical problems during Night One.
The show initially allowed viewers to vote online and by text while the live broadcast was taking place. The online voting system subsequently became unavailable.
Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro addressed the issue during the broadcast. Viewers were instructed to use text voting, and the show later announced that online votes would not count for that night.
The situation meant the Night One result was based on the applicable judges’ scores and the text votes that were counted during the live voting window.
For viewers following the second night, the voting process is particularly important because Season 35’s opening week features separate groups of contestants on separate nights.
How DWTS Voting Works in Season 35
For the regular Season 35 voting process, eligible viewers in the United States and Canada who are at least 18 years old can vote during the live broadcast.
Voting takes place during the live episode and closes shortly after the final competitive dance. Votes are not available during a replay or delayed viewing.
The standard Season 35 voting structure allows up to 10 votes through the online system and up to 10 votes through text messaging for each couple, for a potential total of 20 votes per couple.
The exact voting instructions and text codes are provided during the live episode.
Because voting is combined with judges’ scores, audience participation can affect which couples continue even when another couple has a lower score from the judges.
When Does Dancing With the Stars Air?
The Season 35 premiere is being presented as a two-night event.
Night One aired Tuesday, September 15, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and featured the male celebrity contestants.
Night Two is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and features the female celebrities.
After the special two-night premiere, Dancing With the Stars returns to its regular Tuesday schedule, airing at 8 p.m. ET.
The season is hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli are serving as judges.
Where to Watch Dancing With the Stars Season 35
Viewers can watch Dancing With the Stars live on ABC and Disney+.
The Season 35 premiere is being streamed live on Disney+ alongside the ABC broadcast. Episodes are also available for streaming afterward, with Hulu carrying episodes the following day.
For viewers looking specifically for the latest Season 35 results, the live broadcast remains important because eliminations and voting occur during the live episodes.
The Season 35 schedule also includes a new DWTS After Party following the second night of the premiere. The aftershow is hosted by Season 34 champion Robert Irwin and features discussion of the latest episode and eliminated contestants.
What Happens After Conner Leavitt’s Elimination?
With Leavitt and Zaikman eliminated, the competition moves forward without one of the season’s most direct connections to the previous DWTS cast.
The remaining contestants continue competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, with the judges’ scores and viewer votes continuing to determine who advances.
Leavitt’s exit also closes the book on the unusual husband-and-wife connection between consecutive seasons. Whitney competed in Season 34, while Conner took his own turn in the ballroom one year later.
His time on the show was brief, but it added another chapter to the Leavitts’ connection with the franchise.
For viewers searching for the latest results, the key confirmed development is that Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman are the first couple eliminated from Season 35. The second night of the premiere will introduce the female celebrities and produce another elimination before the series settles into its regular weekly format.
Final Thoughts
Conner Leavitt’s Season 35 journey ended after one salsa performance with Adele Zaikman, following a 12-point judges’ score and the first night’s audience voting. His elimination makes him the first celebrity sent home from the new season, while the remaining 15 couples continue competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.
What did you think of Conner Leavitt’s elimination? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for the latest DWTS updates.