Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Eliminates First Celebrity

Originally appeared on E! Online

One star is unfortunately evacuating the dance floor.

After the male celebrities competed on night one of the Dancing With the Stars season 35 premiere Sept. 15, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives starConner Leavittandhis pro partnerAdele Zaikmanwere eliminated and will officially be hanging up their dancing shoes.

“This has been the most fun,” Leavitt said after being cut. “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, who joined the cast after winning Next Pro, added of the 32-year-old—whose wife Whitney Leavitt competed last season—”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.”

It was a tough decision for America—and the judges—to make over the two-night premiere, which was split by sex, with the female stars set to perform on Sept. 16 ahead of a second elimination.

Not to mention, every duo had quite the personal performance, as the theme enlisted the pairings to dance to a song that debuted the year each contestant was born. While Leavitt and Zaikman ultimately couldn’t best their competition, their salsa dance to “Whoomp! There It Is” was certainly a sight to behold.

For contestantGuillermo Rodriguez, the Jimmy Kimmel Live!starshared how he is planning to give it his all this season, despite being an underdog, as he danced the Cha Cha to “Mr. Big Stuff” with pro partner Witney Carson.

“People told me, ‘Guillermo, you’re not gonna pass the first week,'” he shared in his pre-taped video package. “But I’m gonna work real hard and I’m gonna try my best.”

<img src="https://comicvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/https-3A-2F-2Fmedia.zenfs_.com-2Fen-2Fe__181-2F87c1e7fe69367d674e4ba54b261ae1f8-5.jpg" alt="Dancing With the <a href="https://comicvibe.com/how-to-watch-dancing-with-the-stars-season-35-premiere/" title="How to Watch Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Premiere”>Stars season 35 cast on ABC, Conner Leavitt”>

Disney/Andrew Eccles

Meanwhile, the evening also served a heavy dose of nostalgia, with younger duos like Olympian Ezra French, 21, and pro Daniella Karagachdancing to Kelly Clarkson‘s “Since U Been Gone” and Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson, 28, andEmma Slaterdoing the Cha Cha to “Wannabe” bythe Spice Girls.

Although the special circumstance certainly raised the stakes for the competitors, it of course came with added pressure. Even DWTScast members expressed shock upon confirmation that not one, but two of the initial 16 couples would be eliminated during the two-night premiere.

Dancing With the Stars, Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough — Disney

“It’s not an even playing field, right?” Mark Ballasposited during a Sept. 10 appearance on the Get Real podcast alongside partnerDWTSMaura Higgins. “It’s like the cast is split in half and someone’s going. It’s kind of like boys over there, girls over there, one of you is going from each group, right?”

But trust, stars are bringing their A game to the ballroom. In fact, before10 Things I Hate About You actress Julia Stiles, 45, and her partner Ezra Sosahonor the late Dolly Parton—performing a quickstep to “9 to 5” on Sept. 16—Sosa emphasized that Stiles wasn’t saving her skills for the premiere to be their last dance.

“She’s doing absolutely incredible,” Sosa told E! News Sept. 6 as the pair prepared for the DWTSpremiere. “I will confidently say I’ve never worked with someone who’s working so hard and who’s so passionate about doing this, and it just makes me so excited to see their journey on the show.”

For a look at all the pairings on DWTSseason 35, keep reading…