Dancing With the Stars Voting Glitch Forces Online Votes To Be Scrapped as Texts Decide First Season 35 Elimination

Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman became the first pair to leave Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars on 15 September after a voting glitch forced producers to scrap all online votes and rely solely on text messages and judges' scores.

The show counted valid text votes alongside the judges' scores to determine the first elimination. Leavitt scored 12 out of 30 for his salsa with Zaikman to Tag Team's 'Whoomp! There It Is'.

Voting Glitch Overshadows First Elimination

The problem surfaced after the night's second dance, a tango from Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess. Co-host Julianne Hough told viewers that online voting was down and directed them to vote by text.

Leavitt and Zaikman then performed the third dance of the night. After their salsa, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro said the show would throw out any online votes that had gone through. Only text messages counted towards the audience-voting part of the result that night. The judges' scores still formed the other part of the elimination calculation.

ABC had planned to offer two voting methods during the live premiere. Fans could vote online, while eligible viewers with participating US wireless carriers could also vote by text. Online voting normally covers eligible viewers in the US, its territories and Canada. Text voting is limited to participating US wireless carriers and is not available in Canada.

The cast also created a potential source of confusion because two contestants have nearly identical first names. Viewers had to text 'Conner L' for Leavitt and 'Connor W' for comedian Connor Wood.

No verified reporting has established that the voting failure changed the elimination result. The confirmed effect was narrower: the show removed online votes and relied on text votes for the audience part.

Leavitt Leaves After 12-Point Salsa

Leavitt, known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, earned four points from each judge. His 12 out of 30 placed him second from bottom on the judges' leaderboard.

Carrie Ann Inaba called the salsa 'a bit chaotic' while praising Leavitt's enthusiasm. Derek Hough said the routine was playful but added that he 'didn't get enough salsa', while Bruno Tonioli criticised Leavitt's timing.

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson finished below Leavitt with 10 points but advanced. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson topped the first-night scoreboard with 21 points for their cha-cha.

The show combined the valid text votes with the judges' scores before announcing the result. Leavitt and Zaikman then became the first pair eliminated from Season 35.

'This has been the most fun,' Leavitt said after his exit. He praised Zaikman as the 'greatest dance partner in the world' and said he wanted viewers to see her talent.

Zaikman joined the professional cast after winning Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro. She called the experience 'a dream come true' despite the early elimination.

Two-Night Premiere Continues

Season 35 opened with 16 celebrity contestants and a special two-night premiere. The eight male celebrities competed on 15 September, with one elimination scheduled at the end of the episode.

ABC scheduled the eight female celebrities to compete on 16 September. Another contestant will leave at the end of that broadcast.

The Season 35 cast includes Julia Stiles, Tatyana Ali, Giada De Laurentiis, Maura Higgins and Jenna Dewan. ABC and Disney+ carry the programme live, while Hulu makes episodes available the following day.

After the premiere, Dancing With the Stars returns to its regular Tuesday schedule. The first-night result stands with Leavitt as the season's first eliminated contestant.