Conner Leavitt Eliminated on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Premiere Night

Conner Leavitt, star of Hulu’s ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ has been eliminated as the first celebrity of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 35. Leavitt’s elimination was announced on Tuesday, September 15th, after his performance with his professional partner, Adele Zaikman. The two received one of the night’s lowest scores.

Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman were the first couple eliminated from ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 35 on September 15th. Their Salsa score of 12 out of 30 meant an immediate exit during the first night of the two-part premiere.

The 35th season of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ got off to a strong start with a two-night premiere: male celebrities on Night 1 and female celebrities on Night 2. On Tuesday, Conner Leavitt and his professional partner Adele Zaikman took to the dance floor to perform a Salsa.

Despite their hard work, the judges gave Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman a combined score of 12/30. With viewer votes, this score placed them at the bottom of theleaderboard, and eliminated them from the competition before the rest of the cast even got a chance to perform.

Conner Leavitt is a producer and performer on Hulu’s show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” With his wife, Whitney Leavitt, having gone deep on “Dancing With the Stars,” many expected Conner to bring some ballroom experience.

Adele Zaikman, his partner, is a series-debuting full-time professional dancer. She gained experience on the show as a Juniors Pro. After their elimination, Conner Leavitt said he was grateful for the opportunity and would keep working hard, even with the early exit.

This season, 16 celebrities will compete, along with their pro partners, for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The following contestants include some big names in television, sports, and music.

• Julia Stiles (Actress)
• Taylor Hanson (Musician, Hanson)
• Tatyana Ali (Actress, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”)
• Jackson Olson (Savannah Bananas baseball star)
• Ciara Miller (Reality TV star)
• Ezra Frech (Paralympic track and field athlete)
• Harry Shum Jr. (Actor and dancer)
• Jenna Dewan (Actress and dancer)
• Maura Higgins (Reality TV star and presenter)
• Phaedra Parks (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”)
• Dylan Efron (Actor and internet personality)
• Guillermo Rodriguez (“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”)
• Sarah Jane Nader (Model)

Alfonso Ribeiro is hosting this season, with Julianne Hough returning as a co-host.

“Dancing With the Stars” Season 35 will air on ABC and Disney+, live, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT. You can find the episodes on Hulu the next day.

You can vote for your favorite celebrity couples during the live shows. Voting will open at 8 p.m. ET during the performance shows. You can vote on ABC.com and the Disney Insider app, or text your vote by typing the first name of your celebrity. You will be limited to 10 votes per method per show.

The Season 35 premiere is the first step in the long-running dance competition’s plan to merge mainstream celebrities with viral reality television stars. Leavitt’s casting bridges the gap between Hollywood and the extremely devoted fan base of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

Also, the early elimination of a well-known reality star on Night 1 shows the judges will focus on the finer points of performance and the art of the ballroom rather than a celebrity’s fame.

The premiere continues on Wednesday, September 16, with the female celebrities taking to the stage. The judges’ scores and the voting awards will determine whether another couple is eliminated or the bottom couples will participate in a dance-off. The competition will continue with performance nights dedicated to different themes.