‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 35 Premiere Recap: Who Went Home?

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from night one of the Season 35 premiere of Dancing with the Stars.

Back like they never left! The ballroom at CBS Television City was once again glittering with celebrities on Tuesday night to kick off Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars.

There are 16 contestants vying for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy at the top of the season, and ABC opted for a two-night premiere that split the dances between Tuesday and Wednesday nights. On the first night, only the male celebrities performed. The ladies will take the floor on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, things did not go over without a hitch. The party was interrupted by some tech issues, with voting going down online in the middle of the show. They threw out the ABC.com votes mid-premiere and relied solely on text votes, which have their own wrinkle this year since there’s two contestants who share the same name. Voters will need to specify Conner L. or Connor W. in their text votes, and they won’t count if they don’t, according to hosts Afonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. What could go wrong there?

While this week’s results might be questionable, the show must go on. Here’s how things shook out on night one.

Savannah Bananas midfielder Jackson Olson with Emma Slater. The baseball player kicked things off with a cha cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls — and it’s clear that Slater is reveling in being paired with a younger partner this season. In the package before the dance, she said it’s the first time she’s ever worked with a celeb in their 20s, and admits there were less “limitations” working with Olson.The energetic routine was a nice introduction to Olson, and the judges ate it up. “The ballroom is back!” judge Derek Hough said. “Jackson, my man, you are a natural born performer.” BUT! Hough also warned that the judges are going to be pretty tough with their scores this season, and Olson has plenty of room for improvement in the technique department. SCORE: 15 out of 30

Reality star Tyler Cameron with Sharna Burgess. The Bachelor alum was the first of many reality stars to take the dance floor over the next two days. He danced his assigned tango to TK. The former college football player says he did take some dance classes in college, but he’s got some brushing up to do. After a multi-year hiatus from the show, the Burgess pleased the judges with her first routine with Cameron. “Tyler, what’s going on here? I have to say, I’m very pleasantly surprised. I mean, look at him. He looks like a tank…you can move, man,” Bruno Tonioli complimented. SCORE: 17 out of 30

Reality star Conner Leavitt with Adele Zaikman. These two stepped onto the ballroom floor with something to prove Tuesday night, what with newcomer Zaikman as the winner of DWTS: The Next Pro and Leavitt married to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, who took the ballroom by storm last season and leveraged the exposure to launch a Broadway run on Chicago. They danced a salsa to “Whoop There It Is” by Tag Team, putting Zaikman in her element as a Latin expert and taking Leavitt straight out of his. Carrie Ann Inaba called the routine “a little chaotic,” but overall, the judges loved the enthusiasm. SCORE: 12 out of 30

Late-night sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez with Witney Carson. Season 34 champ Carson is back on the ballroom floor with a much different contestant this year. She’s guiding Jimmy Kimmel’s right-hand man Rodriguez thought the competition, and they started off with a cha cha. Carson, who is impressively competing pregnant this year, tried to disguise her partner’s lack of technique by leaning into Rodriguez’s charm, reminding why he’s spent decades at Kimmel’s side on late night. It only kind of worked. “Listen, was the technique there? No. Was the effort there? Absolutely,” Hough said. “We can’t be having heel leads in the cha cha.” Regardless, the audience clearly responded to Rodriguez’s “spicy” performance, chanting his name when he finished. There were even boos when the judges issued their (probably rightful) rating. SCORE: 10 out of 30

Paralympian Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach. Julianne Hough kind of botched his introduction, but Frech still made a great impression on his first night as his rehearsal package gave audiences a glimpse of what he’s working through this season as an above-the-knee amputee in the competition. He and Karagach had to make some accommodations to take on the tango, but boy, did they deliver. The judges loved it the fiery routine to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” and so did the crowd. “What really impressed me, you really looked like a leading man,” Tonioli said. SCORE: 20 out 30

Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with Rylee Arnold. The second Connor of the night showcased his personality with a cha cha to “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw. Of the group, Wood has some of the least dance experience, so it appears Arnold may have her work cut out for her this season. But what he lacks in technique, he makes up for in his sincerity. On the bright side, Inaba says he didn’t give her “the ick” when he made a wrong move. A for effort! No comment on the person riding a bedazzled mechanical bull in the background for the entire number. SCORE: 16 out of 30

Musician Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart. The middle Hanson brother is back on stage after spending years “avoiding dancing.” He says he’s uncomfortable performing without an instrument in tow, but Stewart tells him to think of her as his new “safety blanket.” Having gone from avoiding all dancing to taking on the quickstep night one, Derek Hough assures him he should feel proud, despite the flaws. Tonioli agreed. Now, he needs to work on his frame. “Don’t tighten up,” Tonioli said. SCORE: 16 out of 30

Actor Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson. The Glee and Grey’s Anatomy actor closed out the night one with yet another cha cha. Johnson took advantage of Shum’s freestyle and hip-hop experience, though, and his prior performance chops on Glee to deliver a performance full of personality and charm.And, well, they absolutely saved the best for last. Those two lit up the ballroom floor with an “emergency disco” that had Tonioli in a fit. “The chemistry between you two is off the charts. Sharp as a scalpel,” he said. SCORE: 21 out of 30 (the highest score of the night!)

So, who goes home?

Sadly, after just one dance, Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman are sent packing. Well, they’ll be back in the ballroom at least once more for tomorrow’s ‘live afterparty’ with Season 34 winner Robert Irwin and whomever among the women is voted off on night two.