DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 35 NEWSROOM

Jackson Olson and DWTS Pros Reach the Banana Bowl — Dance Moves Beyond the Ballroom

The first Banana Bowl took place at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, October 10, with Dancing with the Stars participants among the event’s featured guests. An October 9 Good Morning America segment previewed the Savannah Bananas’ collaboration with DWTS professionals. In post-event reporting published October 11, Us Weekly confirmed that DWTS cast members appeared at the event and described a ninth-inning choreographed sequence featuring all six Banana Ball teams and the Jonas Brothers. Season 35 contestant Jackson Olson performed with the Bananas; the Texas Tailgaters won the championship.

The available reporting does not establish which individual DWTS professionals performed in which segments, or provide a verified full choreographic credit list. DMM will not attribute the Jonas Brothers sequence to specific DWTS choreographers without primary footage or credits. The confirmed crossover nevertheless documents how television-trained performers and a sports-entertainment ensemble can share a national stage.

Verified sources and official media: ABC News / Good Morning America, October 9 — official pre-event video about the DWTS-pro crossover; Us Weekly, October 11 — post-event reporting on appearances and the Jonas Brothers sequence; ABC/Disney Television Press, October 8 — official Olson/Slater October 13 salsa assignment. No unverified post-event clip is embedded; the original ABC News segment is linked rather than re-hosted.

DMM Watching →  ·  Season 35 live dashboard →  ·  All Newsroom updates →

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov Explain Their Viral DWTS Split — and Why the Movement Requires Caution

Amber Glenn and professional partner Pasha Pashkov say viewers began recreating their upside-down split almost immediately after the October 6 performance. In an original Extra rehearsal interview published October 9, Pashkov said their first reaction was concern about people getting hurt. Glenn said an earlier attempt at the movement had gone badly for her, and both cautioned viewers about attempting it without proper preparation.

The reaction reveals how quickly a difficult television movement can circulate outside the rehearsal room. A figure skater may bring unusual flexibility and body awareness to the ballroom, but a partnered inverted position is not a casual challenge: it depends on practiced support, alignment, timing and safe entry and exit. DMM is reporting the dancers’ warning, not providing instructions for viewers to recreate the stunt.

Next dance: ABC’s October 8 press release confirms Glenn and Pashkov will perform a samba to “Mi Gente” by J Balvin and Willy William on Tuesday, October 13, Super Bowl Night. In the Extra interview, Pashkov said their routine will feature additional dancers. Glenn said samba is new territory for her and raised the possibility of carrying some of what she learns back to skating exhibitions. That is a promising dance-to-ice transfer question, not a claim that she has already performed samba on ice.

Verified sources: Extra, October 9 — original rehearsal interview, split reaction and safety cautions; ABC/Disney Television Press, October 8 — official samba assignment and broadcast details. The original publisher’s interview page is linked; no third-party video was copied or embedded without a confirmed official embeddable player.

Maura Higgins Responds to DWTS “Fixed” Rumor as Mark Ballas’ Rehearsal Work Takes Focus

Maura Higgins has addressed claims that Season 35 is arranged for her to win, treating the suggestion humorously rather than endorsing it. In an interview with former finalist Alix Earle, Higgins recalled a rumor about the competition being fixed in her favor and joked about whether that would mean she could stop learning choreography. Us Weekly reported the exchange on October 10. Neither the interview nor the report establishes that votes or judging are manipulated.

The verified dance record is more substantial. Higgins and professional partner Mark Ballas earned 25/30 for their October 6 waltz to Mariah Carey’s “If It’s Over”, including Season 35’s first 9. Higgins said she struggled with a double turn that Ballas considered removing; they kept it after continued rehearsal, and she completed the element in the live routine. Her account documents technical preparation and growing confidence, not a guarantee of any result.

What DMM is watching: whether the next dance demonstrates repeatable technical improvement across styles, how Ballas adjusts difficulty and rehearsal priorities, and whether any authoritative source discloses new voting or scoring information. The October 13 Super Bowl Night assignment is a tango to Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World).” Follow DMM Watching.

Verified sources: Us Weekly, October 10 — Higgins’ response and direct rehearsal quotes; Entertainment Weekly, October 7 — double-turn choreography account; Alix Earle’s original YouTube conversation. The interview is linked, not embedded; player availability and rights were not independently confirmed for this handoff.

Why So Many DWTS Pros Come From Utah: The Dance Training Pipeline Behind Season 35

A fresh October 9 examination of the Utah-to-Dancing with the Stars connection highlights a story larger than television casting: how years of cross-training, teaching and community investment prepare dancers for national visibility. Cosmopolitan identifies six Season 35 professionals with Utah ties, including Jenna Johnson, Witney Carson, Brandon Armstrong, Ezra Sosa, Rylee Arnold and Hailey Bills. The count reflects Utah connections, not a claim that all were born in the state.

The deeper training record comes from Deseret News’ November 2025 reporting inside Center Stage Performing Arts in Orem. Studio leader Kim DelGrosso and instructors describe how intensive ballroom instruction sits alongside ballet, jazz, hip-hop and contemporary training. The studio’s own program also lists tap, acro and musical theater. The relevant skill is not simply performing many styles; it is learning to switch musical and movement languages, then explain technique to someone else.

Important distinction: This is a newly surfaced professional-training story, not an ABC cast change, a new injury, a competition result or proof of preferential casting. Deseret News’ eight-of-twelve studio figure described Season 34 in 2025; Cosmopolitan’s six-of-sixteen Utah-ties count describes Season 35 in 2026. The two measures should not be conflated.

Full DMM feature: Read the complete Utah dance-training pipeline analysis → with the studio’s history, professional skills, teaching implications, a verified original documentary clip and source credits.

Verified sources: Cosmopolitan, October 9, 2026 · Deseret News, November 19, 2025 (original studio reporting) · Center Stage Performing Arts (official studio) · Deseret News original video.

Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner Question DWTS Voting After Ciara Miller’s Elimination — What the Dance Scores Actually Show

Ciara Miller’s October 6 elimination is generating a new debate about how Dancing with the Stars weighs technical progress against audience preference. On the October 9 episode of their Giggly Squad podcast, Miller’s friends and former Summer House colleagues Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner criticized the outcome. DeSorbo used the word “rigged”; Berner explicitly said she did not know whether the show was rigged and questioned how results are determined when couples perform different dance styles and professionals have different levels of public recognition.

The confirmed competitive record is narrower. Miller and professional partner Brandon Armstrong earned 21/30 for their jazz routine to Mariah Carey’s “Emotions” — her highest judges’ score of Season 35 — and were eliminated that evening. Jackson Olson and Emma Slater also scored 21/30, while Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson scored 13/30; those three couples were shown in jeopardy. ABC says judges’ scores and viewer votes are combined to determine who may be eliminated, but the show has not publicly provided vote totals for these three couples. A higher judges’ score alone does not establish who received more votes.

What is and is not confirmed: The comments were made by DeSorbo and Berner on October 9, not by ABC. There is no verified evidence of vote tampering, a scoring-rule change or a reversed elimination. Miller and Armstrong are out of the competition; 11 couples are preparing for October 13 Super Bowl Night. For DMM’s continuing record, see the Ciara and Brandon official-podcast analysis and Week 4 scores and elimination record.

Original media: Watch the October 9 Giggly Squad podcast episode on its original YouTube upload. The original video is linked rather than copied or rehosted; an independently confirmed embeddable player was not available for this update.

Sources: Us Weekly, October 9 (podcast reporting) · Giggly Squad, October 9 (original podcast) · ABC/Disney Television Press, October 8 (official voting explanation) · ABC Season 35 episodes.

Guillermo Rodriguez Explains Witney Carson’s DWTS Coaching as His Ballroom Journey Tests Technique and Audience Connection

In a new October 9 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Guillermo Rodriguez gives a firsthand account of what it takes to train with professional partner Witney Carson. Entering Season 35 without formal dance experience, Rodriguez says Carson continually redirects his attention toward posture, eye line, memorized steps and the character required by each routine. He also describes how demanding the rehearsals feel physically at age 55, particularly while balancing cross-country work travel.

Rodriguez discusses sore legs and back after training, but does not announce a diagnosed injury or a change to his competition status. He says he has learned to enjoy the live stage despite nerves. His partnership survived the October 6 elimination even after the “Obsessed” samba scored 13/30; Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were eliminated after scoring 21/30 for their jazz routine.

What has not changed: Rodriguez and Carson remain among the 11 couples preparing for October 13 Super Bowl Night. No new elimination, voting-rule change or medical restriction was announced in the interview. The Los Angeles Times reporting is a newly published account of their existing training, not a new ABC casting or scoring announcement.

Official viewing: Watch Season 35 episodes through ABC. No independently verified, rights-cleared standalone video embed of this interview or the routine was available at publication.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, October 9 (original interview) · ABC Season 35 episode listing.

October 9, 2026 · 5:32 PM ET · Official Podcast · Super Bowl Night · Choreography

DWTS Confirms Four NFL Alumni Will Dance on Super Bowl Night as Val Chmerkovskiy Expands Jenna Dewan’s Paso Doble

The October 8 official Dancing with the Stars podcast has added a meaningful detail to ABC’s Super Bowl Night announcement. Host Andy Richter said that returning NFL alumni Emmitt Smith, Donald Driver, DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola will dance in the ballroom on Tuesday, October 13. ABC’s earlier press release had confirmed their appearances but had not specified that they would dance. The podcast statement, reported October 9, clarifies that distinction.

The same official podcast offered a choreography preview from professional Val Chmerkovskiy. For his “Bad Romance” paso doble with Jenna Dewan, he said they plan to bring in members of the troupe and additional dancers for the first time in their competitive partnership this season. That creates a new staging challenge: the ensemble must frame Dewan’s movement without concealing the paso doble’s shaping, attack and partnering technique.

Clarification to the October 8 record: the earlier ABC release established appearances only; Richter’s subsequent official-podcast statement specifies that all four alumni are scheduled to dance. The original Newsroom entry is retained as filed.

Full Week 5 guide: All 11 Super Bowl Night dances, opening medley, NFL alumni and professional/troupe performances →

Official episode: Listen to the October 8 official DWTS podcast (Episode 5) · Watch the official podcast on Disney+. No independently verified unrestricted video embed was available for this update.

Sources: ABC/Disney Television Press, October 8 · Us Weekly, October 9 (podcast quotations) · Official DWTS podcast, October 8.

Ciara Miller Says DWTS Missed Her Full Story as Brandon Armstrong Defends the Value of Dance Progress

In a new first-person conversation, the eliminated partnership asks a larger question: what does a dance competition make visible when technical progress and a performer’s wider identity do not fit neatly into a television package?

Verified October 9 development: In the October 8 episode of the official Dancing with the Stars podcast, hosted by Andy Richter, Ciara Miller said she wished the show had presented more of her identity beyond a widely discussed Summer House relationship controversy. Miller pointed to her years working as an ICU nurse, her move to New York and other professional experiences. This is Miller’s assessment of her own portrayal; the interview does not establish that ABC deliberately suppressed material or changed the show’s editing policy.

Her professional partner, Brandon Armstrong, described the thoughtfulness and character he came to recognize during rehearsals. Miller, visibly emotional during the conversation, credited Armstrong’s patience and steady coaching as she learned unfamiliar steps and managed performance anxiety. She also described discovering stage fright and the pressure of trying to be perfect while competing live. Armstrong argued that measurable improvement deserves greater weight in how audiences evaluate a partnership, while recognizing that television competition results are not determined by technical progression alone.

The pair had been eliminated on October 6, Mariah Carey Night, after earning their personal-best 21/30 for a jazz routine to “Emotions”. They were not the lowest-scoring couple that evening; eleven partnerships remain for October 13 Super Bowl Night. Neither the podcast nor subsequent coverage disclosed individual vote totals or demonstrated that Miller’s portrayal caused her elimination.

Sources and verification: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 9, 3:44 PM ET — reporting and first-person podcast excerpts · Us Weekly, Oct. 9 — additional direct podcast reporting · Disney+ — official podcast series · ABC — official Season 35 episode library.

DMM Watching →  ·  Week 4 scores →  ·  Original elimination report →

Carrie Ann Inaba Responds to DWTS Favoritism Claims as Witney Carson Defends Guillermo’s Character Choice

Two distinct public accounts reveal a real dance question beneath the Season 35 scoring dispute: how should judges separate performance characterization from technical execution?

October 10 update · Full DMM analysis: Carrie Ann Inaba Addresses DWTS Favoritism Claims as Witney Carson Pushes Back on Guillermo Critique → The full analysis separates characterization from samba technique, explains why unreleased vote totals cannot prove favoritism, and previews the Rodriguez/Carson Super Bowl Night salsa. The October 9 report below is preserved as published.

New October 9 development: Carrie Ann Inaba has addressed criticism of DWTS judging and allegations of favoritism. Responding on October 8 to a fan on Threads who questioned why Guillermo Rodriguez had survived longer than higher-scoring contestants, Inaba argued that a lower score does not automatically mean another competitor is a judge’s favorite. Her response was reported by Us Weekly on October 9. She distinguished a critique of a performance from a personal attack on the celebrity. This is Inaba’s public position, not evidence of a new ABC judging policy or a disclosure of viewer votes.

The dispute followed Mariah Carey Night on October 6, when Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson performed a samba to “Obsessed” and earned 13/30. Inaba questioned the absence of his usual visible joy; the studio audience booed. Rodriguez and Carson advanced while Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were eliminated after scoring 21/30. The show combines judges’ scores with audience voting, but the actual vote totals have not been released.

The professional dancer’s response matters: in an original TV Insider interview published October 7, Carson explained that Rodriguez was portraying a more serious, diva-like character suited to the Mariah Carey song. She described Inaba’s comment as “out of pocket”. Carson’s interpretation addresses performance intent; it does not claim that the samba met every technical standard or establish how viewers voted.

Sources and verification: Us Weekly, October 9 — reporting Inaba’s October 8 Threads response; TV Insider, October 7 — original Witney Carson interview; ABC — Season 35 episodes; ABC — official voting and broadcast rules. The original Threads post was reported by Us Weekly but was not independently retrieved in this check.

DMM Watching →  ·  How voting works →  ·  Week 4 scores →

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov’s Rumba Reaches The View as Hosts Attempt Its Signature Balance

A demanding supported balance from the October 6 routine is being recreated outside the competition — a revealing example of choreography traveling into popular culture.

On October 6, Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn and professional partner Pasha Pashkov closed DWTS’s Mariah Carey Night with a rumba to “Hero”. The pair earned 23/30. Among the most discussed moments was a supported balance in which Glenn leaned forward, lifted one leg high behind her and maintained contact with Pashkov. It drew particular attention from judge Derek Hough, who anticipated that viewers would attempt the move themselves.

October 9 development: The View co-hosts Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin posted a backstage Instagram reel attempting their own version. Haines raised her leg while Griffin supported her; the attempt ended in a tumble, and the hosts laughed about it. Their caption indicated no one was harmed. This was a social-media backstage recreation, not an announced change to the DWTS competition or a choreographed number on The View’s broadcast.

Sources and verification: Sara Haines / Alyssa Farah Griffin, original Instagram reel (identified through the original embedded post); TV Insider, October 9, 10:58 AM — reported account of the backstage recreation; ABC/Disney Television Press, October 1 — official rumba/song assignment; Official DWTS performance video. No new ABC competition-format announcement was identified.

DMM Watching: choreography and movement →  ·  Week 4 scores →

Carrie Ann Inaba Defends Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: Ballroom Chemistry Is Part of the Work

An October 8 statement from a DWTS judge turns social speculation about a rumba into a more useful discussion of partnered-dance technique, trust and theatrical connection.

Following Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy’s October 6 rumba to Mariah Carey’s “My All”, some viewers interpreted the performers’ close contact as evidence of a personal relationship. The pair scored 24/30. Dewan’s fiancé, Steve Kazee, had already dismissed the speculation; DMM recorded his response in its October 8 report.

On October 8, judge Carrie Ann Inaba publicly defended the dancers in a comment reported by Us Weekly and other outlets. She described dancers as physically expressive people and urged viewers not to convert the professional connection into an unsupported personal allegation. Her intervention matters because it comes from someone who evaluates the couple’s performance, not simply a family member responding to online conversation.

In a separate post-show interview, Dewan said the competition has been physically, emotionally and mentally demanding. Chmerkovskiy described the pair’s progress as the product of difficult rehearsals and growing confidence. Their accounts support a dance-process reading of the performance; they do not substantiate the rumors.

Official media check: ABC confirms the October 6 rumba assignment; no newly verified, rights-cleared official clip specifically showing Inaba’s October 8 online statement was found. Existing credited episode media is unchanged.

Sources: Us Weekly, October 8 — Inaba’s reported comment and first-person dancer interviews · People, October 8 — corroborating public response · ABC/Disney Television Press, October 1 — official Mariah Carey Night routine.

Earlier Jenna/Val report →  ·  DMM Watching →

Emma Slater and Jackson Olson Rehearse Between Baseball Games as DWTS Fans Question What the Show Reveals

October 8 reporting and Slater’s own remarks illuminate a touring athlete’s ballroom training schedule—without establishing claims that producers deliberately concealed it.

Jackson Olson, a Savannah Bananas performer competing with Emma Slater, has had to balance travel, baseball performances and ballroom rehearsal. An independently shared clip of the pair practicing on a baseball field before the October 6 show prompted fans to ask why that work was less visible in the televised rehearsal packages. Parade reported the clip and reaction on October 8 at 10:06 p.m. ET.

Slater posted her own video on October 8, describing a difficult week for the partnership and expressing hope that Olson would enjoy his next performance. That is an on-record account of the emotional demands of competing; it is not confirmation that ABC intentionally withheld footage or treated one couple unfairly. Other contestants have also rehearsed around work commitments, including Harry Shum Jr. during filming and Guillermo Rodriguez during New York appearances.

Olson and Slater received 21/30 for their Week 4 waltz to Mariah Carey’s “Without You” and remain in the competition. The Washington Nationals’ official event page lists the October 10 Banana Bowl Championship at Nationals Park, giving DMM a concrete upcoming checkpoint for Olson’s travel and training schedule. The event itself is not evidence that any particular DWTS rehearsal has been canceled or shortened.

Official media check: The reported fan-filmed rehearsal clip is not an official ABC release, and the original platform post was not independently playable during this check. It is linked through its reporting source rather than re-hosted or embedded. Existing official DWTS media remains intact.

Sources: Parade, October 8, 10:06 p.m. ET — reported video, Slater’s statement and fan response · Washington Nationals / MLB — October 10 Banana Bowl Championship schedule · ABC/Disney Television Press, October 1 — official Week 4 waltz assignment.

DMM Watching →  ·  Week 4 scores →

Connor Wood Defends Learning to Dance as His Rylee Arnold Rumba Travels Beyond the Ballroom

An October 8 response to criticism, together with first-person accounts of the choreography, shows how a televised rumba can become a cultural talking point without becoming a technical triumph.

On October 6, Connor Wood and professional partner Rylee Arnold performed a rumba to Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” on Dancing with the Stars Mariah Carey Night. The judges awarded 19/30 (6, 6 and 7). Derek Hough recognized Wood’s developing stage presence but wanted stronger technical commitment; Bruno Tonioli praised his willingness to express himself while also flagging foot placement. Carrie Ann Inaba observed that the heightened character sometimes disrupted his movement. These are performance critiques, not an indication that the pair has left the competition.

On October 8, Cosmopolitan reported that Wood replied to an Instagram commenter who questioned his dancing ability by pointing out that the program is a place where people learn to dance. The outlet also reported that imagery from the routine appeared as cover art for a Spotify “Yearning” playlist. DMM could verify the published report, but not independently confirm the playlist’s current cover or any listening figures; playlist placement is therefore attributed to the outlet, not presented as a measured music-streaming result.

The dance-making story is more revealing. In a direct October 7 Us Weekly interview, Wood described a demanding late rehearsal process and explained that the floor sequence combined Arnold’s planned knee slide with a one-legged move he had learned outside ballroom training. An Extra interview filmed ahead of the episode also recorded Wood and Arnold describing the creative aim: to move Wood from a familiar comic persona into a more assured “leading man” on the floor. These accounts illuminate a professional’s challenge: finding a character a beginner can perform while still teaching the recognizable mechanics of rumba.

Watch / primary interview: Extra’s original Derek Hough interview with Wood and Arnold (October 6). The original publisher hosts the video; no unverified third-party embed or downloaded footage has been added.

Sources: Cosmopolitan, October 8, 3:14 p.m. ET — Wood’s public response and reported playlist artwork · Us Weekly, October 7 — first-person choreography and rehearsal account · TV Insider, October 6 — 19/30 and judges’ critiques · ABC/Disney Television Press, October 8 — official next-week samba assignment.

DMM Watching: choreography and professional development →  ·  Week 4 scoreboard →

Sharna Burgess’s DWTS Workload Enters Public Debate as Tyler Cameron Credits Her Coaching

Two October 8 interviews put the professional dancer’s labor — and the trust required to teach on live television — ahead of the relationship speculation surrounding the ballroom.

In reporting published October 8 at 8:54 p.m. ET, Entertainment Weekly documented former DWTS contestant Kaitlyn Bristowe’s criticism of social-media videos posted by Brian Austin Green, the fiancé of returning professional dancer Sharna Burgess. Green had spoken about loneliness while Burgess rehearses and competes with Tyler Cameron. In a separate video, Green apologized to Burgess and Cameron for distracting from their work and described her as devoting extensive daily hours to the competition. Those rehearsal-hour figures are Green’s description, not a schedule independently confirmed by ABC. Bristowe’s criticism is her opinion, not an official finding about the partnership.

A separate October 8 People interview provides the more substantial dance account. Burgess said her connection with Cameron has grown into a friendship rooted in mutual support; Cameron credited her instruction and encouragement with helping him recover from disappointment after Week 3. Their October 6 foxtrot to Mariah Carey’s “#Beautiful” earned 21/30, their highest score to that point. The interviews do not establish that any family dispute changed their choreography, training or competitive standing.

Verified reporting: Entertainment Weekly, October 8, 2026, 8:54 p.m. ET — Bristowe’s remarks and Green’s response · People, October 8, 2026, 1 p.m. ET — first-person Burgess/Cameron interview · Us Weekly, October 8 — contextual account of original posts · ABC/Disney Television Press — official October 13 assignments. Media: no independently verified embeddable official video specific to these remarks; no unlicensed third-party images added.

DMM Watching: professional dancer development →  ·  Week 5 competitors and routines →

Mark Ballas Nearly Cut Maura Higgins’ Double Spin Before Her 25-Point Waltz

An October 7 post-show interview reveals the choreographic judgment behind the highest-scoring dance of Mariah Carey Night: a difficult turn sequence nearly disappeared before the live broadcast.

After their October 6 waltz to Mariah Carey’s “If It’s Over,” Maura Higgins and professional partner Mark Ballas told Entertainment Weekly that a double spin had been unreliable in dress rehearsal. Ballas considered editing it out rather than asking Higgins to perform a move she did not feel ready to execute under television lights and audience pressure. Higgins asked to keep trying; the pair worked on it again, and Ballas decided to retain the sequence. The waltz earned 25/30, including the first nine awarded in Season 35.

Ballas explained that the move could feel different when the camera, lighting and crowd changed the performance environment. He framed the decision as a choreographer’s responsibility: not simply adding difficulty, but adjusting the material to the celebrity dancer’s confidence and reliable execution. Higgins described trusting her preparation and relaxing into the turn. Neither dancer said the spin alone caused the judges’ score, and DMM does not assign it a numerical value.

Related DMM coverage: Week 4 results, all scores and Ciara Miller’s elimination → · Current Season 35 leaderboard →

Primary interview: Entertainment Weekly, Leigh Blickley, October 7, 2026, 4:08 p.m. ET. Official episode reference: ABC, Season 35 Episode 5: Mariah Carey Night. Video: no independently verified standalone official performance embed was located for this update; the ABC episode listing is the official viewing destination. Photo credit: Disney/Eric McCandless for the interview’s licensed press images; no third-party image is hotlinked or reproduced here.

ABC Adds Super Bowl Night Pro and Troupe Numbers, Opening Medley and Four Returning NFL Alumni

The official October 8 Disney Television Press release goes beyond the 11 celebrity routines: it identifies music for the opening and additional professional-dancer performances.

ABC/Disney Television Press has now identified the October 13 Super Bowl Night opening-number soundtrack: “NUEVAYoL” by Bad Bunny, “Rude Boy” by Rihanna and “HUMBLE.” by Kendrick Lamar. The release also lists additional professional and troupe performances set to “It’s Heavy Action (Monday Night Football Theme)” by APM, “In the Air Tonight” by Chris Stapleton and “Bootylicious” by Destiny’s Child. ABC did not publish individual choreography credits, a complete dancer roster for these numbers or a detailed running order in this announcement.

The episode will also feature appearances by four former NFL players who have competed on DWTS: Donald Driver, Emmitt Smith, DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola. Their appearances are confirmed; the release does not say that all four will perform competitive or exhibition dances. Joe Buck remains the confirmed guest judge, and the previously announced 11 celebrity-couple song and dance assignments remain unchanged.

Full guide: DWTS Super Bowl Night: all 11 songs and dances, opening music, pro/troupe numbers and NFL alumni →

Official source: Disney Television Press, October 8, 2026, full Super Bowl Night announcement. Media: no independently verified official video of these October 13 performances is available yet; the music and alumni appearances are scheduled, not broadcast results.

Kerry Washington Revisits Julia Stiles’ Save the Last Dance Set Advocacy as DWTS Renews Interest in the Film

A firsthand recollection of a difficult Chicago night shoot returns to the conversation around Stiles, Ezra Sosa and the difference between a dance film’s screen image and the people who make it.

In the October 1, 2026 episode of Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, Kerry Washington praised former Save the Last Dance co-star Julia Stiles, now competing on Dancing with the Stars Season 35 with professional partner Ezra Sosa. Washington recalled a freezing exterior scene filmed in Chicago for the 2001 dance film. After director Thomas Carter requested another take, Washington said Stiles offered to continue if he first removed his warm coat. He did; according to Washington, that was their final take. The story circulated anew in reporting published October 8. This is not a newly recorded October 8 interview.

Washington described the moment as an early lesson in advocating for performers’ working conditions. Her recollection concerns a filmed acting scene, not a claim about who choreographed or danced the film’s routines. The distinction matters: the movie’s enduring dance identity was created through a collaboration of actors, dancers, choreographers, doubles, crews and editors. Stiles’ current ballroom work is a new, live test of her own dancing rather than a replay of what audiences saw on screen.

Verified sources: Not Gonna Lie, Episode 83, Oct. 1 — original first-person interview, 53:15 · BuzzFeed, Oct. 8 — renewed reporting with the source interview · DMM, Sept. 8 — documented dance-double credit.

DMM’s Julia Stiles screen-memory analysis →  ·  Meet Chryssie Whitehead, one of the dancers behind the film →  ·  DMM’s Season 35 dance-experience analysis →

Jimmy Kimmel Defends Guillermo Rodriguez After 13/30 Samba — DMM Examines the Dance-versus-Vote Divide

The October 7 monologue puts a clear argument into Season 35’s central debate: is the audience rewarding the best ballroom technique, the most entertaining partnership, or something in between?

After Guillermo Rodriguez and professional partner Witney Carson advanced from October 6’s Mariah Carey Night despite earning 13/30 for their samba to “Obsessed”, Jimmy Kimmel used his October 7 late-night monologue to defend Rodriguez from viewers urging others to stop voting for him. Kimmel rejected speculation that the show is rigged and argued that the competition is also a television entertainment event, not a professional ballroom championship. His remarks were reported by Entertainment Weekly on October 8 at 10:41 a.m. ET.

The performance featured deliberate comic staging, including Rodriguez falling forward and moving on the floor — a creative choice developed within Carson’s routine. Meanwhile, Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were eliminated with 21/30 for their jazz, making the tension between judges’ scores and audience preferences impossible to ignore. Neither Kimmel nor DMM has access to independently verified couple-by-couple voting totals; his account is a public defense of his colleague, not evidence of the numerical vote margin or proof about production decisions.

Verified sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 8, 10:41 a.m. ET — report and original show clip · TheWrap, Oct. 7 — independent account of Kimmel’s monologue · ABC Help — official voting window and eligibility rules.

Related DMM watch: Bobby Bones on performance order · Ciara Miller / Brandon Armstrong post-elimination record.

Bobby Bones Says DWTS Performance Order Is Strategic — What That Means for Dance Visibility, Not Just Scores

A former Mirrorball winner’s account raises a question DMM can test through Season 35: how much does the running order shape the audience’s opportunity to see a dance?

In an October 1 episode of the He Said, G Said podcast, Season 27 winner Bobby Bones described his view of how Dancing with the Stars places couples in its two-hour live broadcast. His remarks drew renewed coverage on October 7–8. Bones said performances at the start of the show and the top of the second hour can be chosen strategically because viewers joining at those times are likely to encounter those couples first.

Bones argued that the running order can highlight performers the production wants viewers to notice. He did not establish that those placements predetermine winners. His comments are a former contestant’s account and interpretation, not an ABC-confirmed policy or a verified change to Season 35 voting rules. DMM has found no official ABC statement confirming the specific placement criteria Bones described.

Watch the primary account: He Said, G Said — October 1 podcast episode. No video embed has been added because the original uploader and embedding rights have not been independently verified.

Verification: TV Insider, Oct. 8 · Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 7/8. ABC has not independently confirmed Bones’ specific running-order claim.

ABC Confirms Joe Buck as DWTS Super Bowl Night Guest Judge — All 11 Songs and Dance Styles Revealed

ABC’s Good Morning America confirmed the full October 13 program at 8:15 a.m. ET today: ESPN football announcer Joe Buck joins the judges, and all 11 remaining couples now have official songs and dance styles.

The first-ever Super Bowl Night features four salsas, three sambas, two jazz routines, one tango and one paso doble. Among the matchups: Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson samba to Usher’s “Yeah!”; Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas tango to Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)”; Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy paso doble to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”; and Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa jazz to Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny from the Block.” All 11 assignments are published in DMM’s new complete Super Bowl Night songs-and-dances guide →.

Broadcast: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+; next-day replay on Hulu. All routines are scheduled, not yet performed, and no Week 5 scores or elimination have been reported.

Official sources: ABC / Good Morning America — Joe Buck and all 11 assignments, Oct. 8, 8:15 a.m. ET · ABC — official viewing/voting instructions. No official embeddable Week 5 performance video exists before the broadcast; none has been fabricated.

Jan Ravnik Addresses His Absence From the 2027 DWTS Live Tour Cast

The Season 35 professional has now spoken about why he is not part of the newly announced touring roster. His answer is brief, but it resolves one immediate casting question without implying a dispute with the franchise.

In an Us Weekly interview published October 7, Jan Ravnik said the 2027 tour was “not in my stars” and explained that he was “busy with stuff.” He praised the dancers who will take part and left his future touring plans open-ended. Ravnik remains an active Season 35 professional alongside Tatyana Ali; their Mariah Carey Night assignment was a jazz routine to “Fantasy.”

The official 2027 tour cast does not list Ravnik. His comments do not identify a particular conflicting project, confirm a guest appearance or establish that he is leaving the television competition. The tour begins January 21, 2027, and its Mirrorball presale is scheduled to begin October 8 at 10 a.m. in each venue’s local time zone.

Sources: Us Weekly, Oct. 7, 2026 — direct interview with Jan Ravnik · DWTS Live — official 2027 cast and participation dates · ABC/Disney Television Press — official Season 35 Week 4 dance assignments. No newly verified official performance video is available for this tour-cast statement.

Brandon Armstrong Says Ciara Miller Should Not Have Gone Home — Their DWTS Exit Exposes the Growth-vs.-Votes Divide

The October 6 elimination is now a first-person account of what happens when a celebrity finally reaches a technical milestone but the competition ends before that growth can continue.

Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong received three 7s — 21/30, their highest judges’ total of Season 35 — for their jazz to Mariah Carey’s “Emotions.” Yet they were eliminated at the end of Mariah Carey Night. In a post-show interview with Entertainment Tonight, Armstrong said “she shouldn’t have gone home” and described the disappointment of a partnership ending just as its training began to show. He also acknowledged that viewers vote for favorites for reasons extending beyond dance technique.

Miller said she was disappointed to leave and spoke about learning to perform without needing to appear perfect in public. Her response moves the story beyond an upset result: she identified vulnerability and a willingness to try unfamiliar movement as part of what the partnership gave her. Sharna Burgess and other cast members also described surprise backstage, but their reactions are not evidence of undisclosed vote totals.

Read DMM’s full Week 4 results, scores and updated post-elimination analysis →

Verified sources: NBC Los Angeles, October 8 — direct ET interview excerpts · Entertainment Weekly, October 7 — post-show response · ABC News — official Season 35 elimination record. No official embeddable interview or performance video was independently verified for this update; none has been fabricated or hotlinked.

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: Ballroom Chemistry Draws Speculation, but the Dance Tells a Different Story

After the pair’s 24/30 Mariah Carey Night rumba, Jenna Dewan’s fiancé, Steve Kazee, directly dismissed online speculation about her connection with professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy. For DMM, the more important story is how dance partners create convincing chemistry without confusing performance with private life.

Kazee responded to social-media criticism of Dewan and Chmerkovskiy’s closeness, describing the spouses as unbothered and rejecting the contradictory judgments being made about the pair. His comments were reported by Entertainment Weekly late on October 7 and independently by Us Weekly. They do not establish any romantic relationship between the dancers; no evidence supporting that implication has been presented.

The timing matters. Dewan and Chmerkovskiy had just performed a rumba to Mariah Carey’s “My All” and earned 24/30, their highest score to date. The style demands sustained partner connection, controlled weight transfer and an emotional through-line. Dewan has separately explained that her professional commercial-dance background helps her learn choreography but does not automatically translate to ballroom technique; some familiar movement habits must be unlearned.

Sources: ABC/Disney Television Press — official October 6 rumba assignment · Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 7, 9:53 PM ET — Kazee’s direct response and Dewan’s training comments · Us Weekly, Oct. 7 — corroboration · Us Weekly, Sept. 29 — direct Val Chmerkovskiy/Jenna Johnson comments on partner chemistry.

DWTS Live Tour Books Madison Square Garden for the First Time — and Names Its First Presenting Sponsor

The 2027 tour announcement has two milestones beyond its professional cast and first touring troupe: a New York arena debut and a new commercial partnership.

Official tour releases distributed by North American arenas confirm that Dancing with the Stars: Live! will play Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time on Friday, February 5, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. The date and venue are also listed on the primary ticketing platform. The tour is planned for 60 shows across North America, from January 21 through April 11; celebrity guest appearances remain to be announced.

The same official releases identify COVERGIRL as the tour’s first presenting sponsor. The brand’s senior vice president of global marketing, Mary Santangelo, describes the arrangement as a partnership around confidence, creativity and individual expression. This is a presenting-sponsor announcement, not evidence of new choreography commissions, dancer compensation terms or additional confirmed tour dates.

Ticket timing: the free Mirrorball-member presale opens Thursday, October 8 at 10 a.m. local venue time; the general public on-sale begins Tuesday, October 13 at 10 a.m. local venue time. Individual venue schedules and dancer participation may vary. DMM directs readers to the official tour site rather than promising availability.

Sources: Official 2027 tour release distributed by Rocket Arena, Oct. 7 (first presenting sponsor, cast, tour, presale) · Capital One Arena official event announcement (first MSG stop) · Ticketmaster primary listing (Feb. 5 MSG time and presale).

Giada De Laurentiis Explains the Rehearsal Struggle Behind Her DWTS Exit — and What Alan Bersten Was Trying to Teach

An October 7 interview adds first-person evidence to the Season 35 record: the chef says her frustration came from difficulty hearing musical counts and absorbing steps, not a feud with her professional partner.

In a preview of Maria Menounos’ Heal Squad interview, shared with People ahead of its scheduled October 8 release, Giada De Laurentiis explained that she sometimes struggled to recognize the counts in the music or understand a new step quickly enough. She recalled Alan Bersten asking her to listen and identify the counts when they first met. The live-show deadline magnified the pressure: the pair had to learn how she processed instruction while preparing dances for broadcast.

De Laurentiis also clarified the tense rehearsal footage shown during Viral Hits Night. Her frustration, she said, was directed at her own difficulty learning, not at Bersten. Bersten had previously said their partnership remained supportive and that viewers were drawing conclusions from an edited rehearsal package. The two were eliminated September 22 after a salsa that received 12/30. ABC’s official assignment identifies their song as Becky G’s “Bella Ciao”; some post-elimination coverage incorrectly identifies it as “CHULA.”

The interview also supplies a new status detail about an injury DMM documented in September: De Laurentiis says she is still rehabilitating the broken toe sustained early in rehearsals. This is a retrospective health update after elimination, not evidence of a new injury, competition withdrawal or return to the show.

Sources and verification: People, October 7 — first-person Heal Squad interview preview · Us Weekly, September 30 — Bersten’s direct clarification · ABC/Disney Television Press, September 18 — official salsa/song assignment. No unverified social video is embedded.

Rylee Arnold Explains Her 2027 DWTS Tour Return as Official Dates Clarify Her Limited Run

Arnold's first-person explanation and the official tour schedule add substance to DMM's professional-dancer story: a return shaped by health, workload and the realities of a demanding live production.

Rylee Arnold says she feels ready for a larger return to Dancing with the Stars: Live! after previously stepping away from a full-length touring commitment to focus on managing Type 1 diabetes. In an official tour-announcement statement carried by People, Arnold said she is now using an insulin pump and feels better able to understand and manage her body's needs. She told Us Weekly that the shorter commitment feels manageable for her. DMM treats this as Arnold's own account of her circumstances, not as a medical recommendation or a prediction about future health.

The official tour cast page lists Arnold for January 21–February 13, February 23–March 20 and March 31–April 11, 2027, rather than every stop. Sharna Burgess is separately listed for February 17–21 and March 22–27. Those date ranges matter to readers planning to see a particular professional. Arnold also made limited March 2026 tour appearances; her return should not be mischaracterized as an uninterrupted absence from every previous live show.

Another important creative credit: Mandy Moore, the Emmy-winning choreographer whose work includes La La Land and Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, is directing the 2027 production. The director credit makes this more than a cast-and-tickets announcement: the road show is a large-scale choreography environment in which professional dancers and the troupe will be seen outside celebrity competition routines.

Sources: Official DWTS Live Tour cast and participation dates · People, Oct. 6 — tour announcement, Arnold's statement and Mandy Moore's direction · Us Weekly, Oct. 7 — Arnold's interview · Parade, Mar. 1 — limited March 2026 appearances. Official video: none independently verified as embeddable for this follow-up; no unlicensed media inserted.

Jenna Johnson Shares Harry Shum Jr. Rehearsal Headbutt Video — Then Their Tango Earns 24/30

The professional dancer has released first-person footage of a painful rehearsal collision, opening a window into the timing and trust behind a routine that looked controlled on live television.

On October 7, Jenna Johnson posted a rehearsal clip showing an accidental forehead-to-forehead collision with her Season 35 partner Harry Shum Jr. During a fast-moving exchange, Johnson rises as Shum approaches, their heads meet and Shum falls backward. Both subsequently joked about the incident. In a post-show interview, Shum described a difficult Sunday rehearsal in which the pair repeatedly misstepped; Johnson said they had to keep working through a turbulent week.

There is no verified report of a concussion, medical restriction or withdrawal. The partnership completed its October 6 tango to Mariah Carey’s “It’s Like That” and received 24/30 (three 8s). Their performance was accompanied by live vocals from Shum’s Glee colleague and Season 17 champion Amber Riley, connecting two generations of DWTS performers within the same number.

Official participant video: Watch Jenna Johnson’s rehearsal clip on Instagram → (linked, not copied or re-hosted; the original post may require Instagram access).

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 7, 5:26 PM ET · Parade, Oct. 7, 3:48 PM ET · ABC-owned On The Red Carpet, Oct. 7 — 24/30 and Amber Riley vocals. Medical-status accuracy: no confirmed diagnosis has been reported.

Maura Higgins Insisted on Keeping the Double Turn Mark Ballas Nearly Cut — Then Earned Season 35’s First 9

The highest-scoring dance of Mariah Carey Night now has a rehearsal-room story that makes the result more useful to DMM’s dance-first record.

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas have revealed that a difficult double turn in their waltz to Mariah Carey’s “If It’s Over” was close to being removed after rehearsal problems. Higgins wanted to keep working on it. They tried it again before the live show, she completed it, and the element stayed in the routine.

The finished waltz earned 25/30 and the first 9 of Season 35. Derek Hough praised it as “pure ballroom dancing,” while Ballas said Higgins has natural ability despite not having the childhood dance training that might have developed that ability earlier.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 7, 2026 — direct post-show interview with Higgins and Ballas about the double turn · Us Weekly, Oct. 7, 2026 — direct Higgins interview on rehearsal, confidence and the turn · RTÉ, Oct. 7, 2026 — independent confirmation of the 25/30 leaderboard lead and first 9.

Two DWTS Pro Stories Move Forward: Val Explains the Cornrows; Daniella and Pasha Explain the Tour

Two stories DMM was already tracking now have direct responses from the dancers themselves, replacing speculation with on-record explanations.

Val Chmerkovskiy: After criticism of the cornrows he wore in promotional material ahead of Mariah Carey Night, Chmerkovskiy said he loved the hairstyle and valued the cultural experience and the chance to support a local Black-owned salon. He said he removed the braids before the live show because he did not want the conversation to distract from partner Jenna Dewan and their performance—not because he regretted wearing them. That directly supersedes speculation that producers ordered the change.

Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov: Their absence from the announced 2027 DWTS Live Tour cast also has an explanation. Karagach said the couple wants time with their daughter after years of touring and little downtime. She left open the possibility that she and Pashkov could appear for a few weeks or selected stops rather than joining the full 60-city run.

Verified sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 7, 2026, direct Val Chmerkovskiy response · Us Weekly, Oct. 7, 2026, direct Daniella Karagach interview · official 2027 DWTS Live Tour announcement/venue release for announced cast and troupe.

Witney Carson Pushes Back on Carrie Ann Inaba’s Guillermo Critique — and Explains the Character Choice

The Mariah Carey Night judging story has moved beyond the ballroom boos. Guillermo Rodriguez’s professional partner is now explaining why his more serious expression was part of the performance rather than evidence that his joy had disappeared.

In a post-show interview, Witney Carson said she disagreed with Carrie Ann Inaba’s suggestion that Rodriguez had dimmed his light during their samba to “Obsessed.” Carson explained that the expression reflected the character they were playing: the song called for a diva attitude, not the constant smile audiences normally associate with Rodriguez. She also defended his work ethic and commitment to improving.

Rodriguez likewise rejected the idea that his joy was gone. The pair survived Week 4 after receiving 13/30, the lowest judges’ total of the night. DMM is keeping the distinction clear: the public result proves survival, but DWTS does not release contestant vote totals, so it does not establish how large Rodriguez’s viewer-vote advantage may or may not be.

Sources: TV Insider — exclusive interview with Witney Carson, Oct. 7, 2026 · Entertainment Weekly — Rodriguez and Carson response, Oct. 7, 2026 · ABC/Disney Television Press — official Mariah Carey Night assignment.

Tyler Cameron’s Foxtrot for His Late Mother Turns Dance Into a Breakthrough Moment on DWTS

Cameron entered Mariah Carey Night near the bottom of the Season 35 leaderboard. His foxtrot to “#Beautiful” became his strongest dance yet — and one of the episode’s clearest examples of personal story strengthening, rather than replacing, the dancing.

Before dancing with Sharna Burgess, Cameron spoke about losing his mother, Andrea Hermann Cameron, to a brain aneurysm in 2020 and said Dancing with the Stars was a show she had wanted to see him do. He described dance as unexpectedly making him feel alive again. The performance visibly moved Derek Hough, who connected Cameron’s story to his own family experience, while Bruno Tonioli praised the routine as a proper foxtrot and highlighted Cameron’s improvement.

Cameron and Burgess received 21/30 — three 7s — improving from 17/30 on Yacht Rock Night and matching Cameron’s best competitive total of the season. DMM is using the verified broadcast score rather than a conflicting 23/30 figure published in one post-show feature.

Sources: ABC/Disney Television Press — official Week 4 foxtrot assignment · Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 6, 2026 — Cameron’s direct comments and judges’ reaction. Score verification: the live Week 4 score was 7-7-7 = 21/30, consistent with the cumulative DMM leaderboard and multiple post-show score recaps.

DWTS Live 2027 Tour Expands the Professional Pipeline — Britt Stewart, Hailey Bills, Adele Zaikman and the Troupe Are Going on the Road

The newly announced 2027 tour turns one of DMM’s standing Season 35 questions into a concrete career-development story: elimination from the celebrity competition does not necessarily end a professional dancer’s season or visibility.

The official Dancing with the Stars: Live! tour cast lists Emma Slater as co-host alongside Val Chmerkovskiy, Britt Stewart, Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Jenna Johnson, Ezra Sosa, Hailey Bills, Rylee Arnold, Sharna Burgess and Adele Zaikman. For the first time, the DWTS live troupe is also joining the road cast: Onye Stevenson, Carter Williams, Jaxon Willard and Kamri Peterson. Venue listings confirm the new arena production begins in January 2027, with general ticket sales opening October 13; celebrity guest stars remain to be announced.

DMM Pro-Dancer Lens: Britt Stewart’s Week 3 elimination, and the premiere exits of first-time pros Bills and Zaikman, now have an important verified next chapter. All three are booked for the live tour. Bills and Zaikman therefore move from DMM’s hypothetical “what happens after elimination?” question into documented continuing employment inside the DWTS ecosystem. The troupe’s first tour inclusion is equally significant because it creates a visible bridge between developmental broadcast roles and the franchise’s touring stage.

Full guide: Read DMM’s complete DWTS Live 2027 Tour guide →

Sources: Dancing with the Stars: Live! — official 2027 cast · MVP Arena — official event listing and presale/on-sale information · Crypto.com Arena — official event listing.

Val Chmerkovskiy Removes Cornrows Before Mariah Carey Night After Online Backlash

The Season 35 pro appeared in promotional social video with cornrows, drew criticism over cultural appropriation, and performed on the live broadcast without the hairstyle.

Entertainment Weekly documented the sequence after viewers reacted to Chmerkovskiy’s promotional look ahead of Mariah Carey Night. Chmerkovskiy later posted another social clip with the braids removed and appeared on the October 6 broadcast without them. DMM is recording the verified change and the public criticism without assigning a motive that Chmerkovskiy has not explicitly stated.

DMM Cultural Lens: styling in televised dance is part of performance language, not an incidental detail. Hair, costume and movement can carry cultural histories beyond a theme-night concept. The useful question for DMM is therefore not whether online outrage itself becomes the story, but how production and performers navigate cultural references when visual choices intersect with identities and traditions that the choreography does not necessarily explain.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 7, 2026. Broadcast context: Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Dewan’s Week 4 rumba earned 24/30.

Carrie Ann Inaba Is Booed Over Guillermo Rodriguez Critique as DWTS’ Score-vs.-Audience Divide Sharpens

Guillermo Rodriguez earned the lowest judges’ score of Mariah Carey Night, but the live audience pushed back loudly when Carrie Ann Inaba questioned whether his usual joy had dimmed. The moment adds a visible audience-response layer to DMM’s ongoing Guillermo Development Watch.

Rodriguez and Witney Carson performed a samba to Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” and received 13/30 — 4s from Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough and a 5 from Bruno Tonioli. ABC/Disney’s official Week 4 release confirms the samba assignment, while the live-broadcast exchange reported after the episode documents the studio reaction to Inaba’s critique.

Inaba asked Rodriguez where his joy had gone and said she felt he was dimming the quality that makes him distinctive. The audience responded with sustained boos. She then clarified that her point was not to diminish him but to push him to keep bringing his natural light to the floor. Rodriguez and Carson nevertheless advanced, while Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were eliminated.

Sources: ABC/Disney Television Press — official Mariah Carey Night assignment · Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 6, 2026 — live-broadcast critique and audience reaction.

Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong Eliminated as Maura Higgins Tops DWTS Mariah Carey Night

Week 4 produced a sharper split between judges’ scores and the combined result: Miller improved to 21/30 and still went home, while Guillermo Rodriguez survived after the night’s lowest judges’ score.

Ciara Miller and professional partner Brandon Armstrong were eliminated at the end of Mariah Carey Night after their jazz to “Emotions” earned 21/30. The result leaves 11 couples in Season 35. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas topped the judges’ leaderboard with 25/30 for their waltz to “If It’s Over,” while Ezra Frech/Daniella Karagach, Harry Shum Jr./Jenna Johnson and Jenna Dewan/Val Chmerkovskiy each scored 24/30.

The night also supplied two important DMM checkpoints. Frech reached a new personal high with a 24/30 rumba after DMM’s adaptive-dance watch focused on how slower sustained movement would test control and weight transfer. Shum matched 24/30 with his tango to “It’s Like That,” returning to the Mariah Carey song whose 2005 music video he danced in as a backup performer. Rodriguez and Witney Carson scored 13/30 for their samba to “Obsessed” but advanced, reinforcing that the public result cannot be inferred from the judges’ leaderboard alone.

Verification: ABC/Disney’s official Mariah Carey Night release confirms the 12-couple lineup, songs, dances and combined judges/viewer elimination format. Same-night result reporting from The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, TV Insider and other national outlets confirms Miller/Armstrong as the Week 4 elimination and the judges’ scores. DMM will replace secondary score/result sourcing with an ABC-owned recap when one is published.

Related DMM scorecard: DWTS Week 4 results — every couple, score and song, plus why the 21-point elimination matters →

Jackson Olson Apologizes to Guillermo Rodriguez as Their DWTS Dance Controversy De-escalates Before Mariah Carey Night

The Week 4 controversy DMM logged on October 5 now has a verified follow-up: Olson has apologized publicly, and the two competitors used dance itself to signal that the dispute is not being carried into the ballroom as a feud.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Olson posted an apology after backlash over his deleted comparison of a parody recreation with Rodriguez’s Week 3 foxtrot. In the new Instagram video, Olson and Rodriguez lip-sync to Miley Cyrus’ “Nobody’s Perfect” and finish by dancing together. Olson framed the moment around moving forward and the togetherness of Dancing with the Stars.

That changes the status of DMM’s October 5 entry. The original comment and backlash remain part of the Season 35 record, but the verified public response now points toward de-escalation rather than an expanding interpersonal feud. Rodriguez had already said he believed Olson was joking. DMM will continue to separate the documented controversy from speculation about how viewers may vote tonight.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 6, 2026 — reporting Olson’s public Instagram apology with Rodriguez. Tonight: ABC/Disney’s official Mariah Carey Night assignment has Olson/Emma Slater dancing a waltz to “Without You” and Rodriguez/Witney Carson a samba to “Obsessed.”

Val Chmerkovskiy Defends Hailey Bills’ DWTS Credentials as the “Nepo Baby” Debate Reaches the Pro Roster

The argument around Season 35’s first-time pro has moved beyond family connections and into a more useful dance question: what evidence should count when evaluating whether a young professional is ready for the DWTS roster?

Veteran pro Val Chmerkovskiy publicly defended his niece Hailey Bills after The Hollywood Reporter’s October 2 interview framed her rise through the show around the “nepo baby” label. Chmerkovskiy argued that the label discounts nearly 15 years of high-level dance work and said Bills is not merely qualified for the role but, by some measures, could be considered overqualified. He also acknowledged that she still has room to grow.

Bills herself took a more nuanced position in the original interview. She credited aunt Jenna Johnson as an important factor in her access to the show, described herself as fortunate to have those connections and simultaneously argued that family access should not erase the work required to reach professional level. Bills entered Season 35 after Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, Season 34 troupe work and the 2026 live tour; her celebrity partnership with Sarah Jane Nader ended in premiere week, but Bills has already confirmed that her Season 35 show work continues.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Oct. 2, 2026 — direct interview with Hailey Bills · Cosmopolitan, Oct. 6, 2026 — Chmerkovskiy’s public response. Background: ABC’s official Season 35 cast materials identify Bills as a first-time pro following troupe work.

Julia Stiles Reframes Her Save the Last Dance History Before Mariah Carey Night

A new direct interview sharpens one of DMM’s Season 35 questions: how much does screen-dance experience actually transfer when the celebrity has to perform live ballroom technique without editing or a character to hide behind?

In an interview published October 6, Stiles revisited how she described her dance background while promoting Save the Last Dance. Watching an older interview back, she said she now believes she played up that training too much. She explained that the film required rigorous preparation but also used a dance double for more advanced material, and that the expectations created by the movie eventually made her self-conscious enough to stop taking dance classes.

That context changes how DMM reads her Season 35 progression. Stiles and Ezra Sosa moved from 18/30 in the premiere to 16/30 on Viral Hits Night and 19/30 on Yacht Rock Night while she managed a rib injury. Rather than treating a famous dance-film credit as automatic ballroom advantage, the useful test is whether she can rebuild confidence, frame, timing and partnership under live competition conditions.

Tonight: ABC/Disney confirms Stiles and Sosa will perform a Viennese waltz to Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love” on October 6. DMM will update the record only after the performance, score and judges’ feedback are verified.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 6, 2026 — direct interview · People, Oct. 6, 2026 — direct interview on returning to dance · ABC/Disney Television Press, Oct. 1, 2026 — official Week 4 assignment.

Jackson Olson’s Deleted Guillermo Rodriguez Comment Draws Backlash Before Mariah Carey Night

A deleted social-media comment has moved from cast banter into a searchable DWTS controversy, but Guillermo Rodriguez himself has publicly downplayed it as a joke.

A USA TODAY Network report published October 5 documents screenshots of a deleted comment Jackson Olson left beneath a playful recreation of Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson’s Week 3 foxtrot. Olson asked how the performer had done the routine “better than him with 2 hours of rehearsal” and also posted “3,” which viewers interpreted as a score. The comments were removed after criticism spread across social platforms.

Rodriguez has not escalated the dispute. In a social-media response quoted by the report, he said he was okay and thought it was a joke. That distinction matters: DMM can document the public reaction and the dance comparison without presenting a cast feud that Rodriguez himself has not claimed.

Week 4 test: Olson and Emma Slater are assigned a waltz to “Without You”; Rodriguez and Witney Carson have a samba to “Obsessed.” ABC/Disney confirms both assignments for Mariah Carey Night on October 6.

Sources: USA TODAY Network / NorthJersey.com, Oct. 5, 2026 — controversy report and Rodriguez response · ABC/Disney Television Press, Oct. 1, 2026 — official Week 4 assignments.

Amy Purdy Says Ezra Frech Is Taking DWTS Disability Representation “to a Whole New Level”

A new direct interview connects two generations of Paralympians in the ballroom and gives DMM a clearer historical frame for Frech’s Season 35 run.

In an interview published October 4, Season 18 runner-up Amy Purdy described watching Ezra Frech compete as deeply meaningful and said his presence is extending the visibility disabled athletes can have on a mainstream dance platform. Purdy, a double below-the-knee amputee who competed with Derek Hough in 2014, said the possibilities available to Frech now are broader than what she felt able to attempt during her own season.

Frech told People that Purdy’s support is “fueling” him and credited disabled contestants before him with helping make his own participation possible. He also emphasized the importance of normalizing disability rather than treating it as an exception. ABC’s official Season 35 biography independently identifies Frech as a two-time Paralympic gold medalist and disability advocate, while ABC’s Week 4 release confirms that he and Daniella Karagach will perform a rumba to Mariah Carey’s “Anytime You Need a Friend” on October 6.

Watch next: Frech enters Week 4 with scores of 20, 21 and 21. DMM will update this record after the October 6 rumba with the verified score, judges’ feedback and any new technical detail about how Karagach adapts the choreography.

Sources: People, Oct. 4, 2026 — direct interviews with Ezra Frech and Amy Purdy · ABC/Disney Television Press — official Ezra Frech biography · ABC/Disney Television Press, Oct. 1, 2026 — official Week 4 assignment.

Britt Stewart Breaks Her Silence After DWTS Elimination, Framing the Hanson Partnership Beyond Its Three-Week Run

After several days of reaction around her early exit, Stewart has now spoken for herself. Her message centers the creative partnership with Taylor Hanson rather than speculation about her future with the show.

In a statement shared October 3, Stewart thanked Hanson for trusting her and for showing up authentically throughout their Season 35 partnership. She said what they created together was bigger than the number of weeks they were given and that she would remain proud of their Dancing with the Stars journey.

Stewart also described the partnership as one she believes will have a lasting impact on her and thanked viewers for the messages and support that followed the September 29 elimination. The statement is significant because it is Stewart’s first extended public framing of the exit after several days in which judges, fellow professionals, the cohost and viewers had been speaking about the result around her.

Context: Hanson and Stewart were eliminated on Yacht Rock Night after their foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes” earned 18/30. Earlier October 3 reporting documented Alfonso Ribeiro calling the result especially difficult and praising Stewart’s work; this new entry adds Stewart’s own voice to that record rather than replacing the earlier report.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 3, 2026 — reporting Stewart’s direct Instagram statement. Verification note: DMM is preserving Stewart’s confirmed statement and is not publishing unverified reports that she plans to leave the show.

Alfonso Ribeiro Calls Britt Stewart’s Week 3 Exit “Especially Difficult” as Her Finale Wait Continues

The DWTS cohost’s new comments turn Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart’s elimination into a professional-dancer development story as well as a competition result.

In an interview published October 3, cohost Alfonso Ribeiro described Hanson and Stewart’s Yacht Rock Night elimination as especially difficult and praised Stewart as an outstanding professional dancer. Ribeiro also pointed to a career fact that matters to DMM’s pro-development watch: Stewart has not yet reached a Dancing with the Stars finale as a competing professional.

Their run ended September 29 after a foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes” scored 18/30. Hanson has since disclosed that he danced through left-leg numbness during the season, while both partners have spoken about the strength of the working relationship they built in three weeks.

Media check: ABC/Disney Television Press has official Yacht Rock Night photography of Hanson and Stewart available through its press gallery. DMM has not re-hosted a new image in this update without a confirmed authorized press-asset workflow.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 3, 2026 — interview with Alfonso Ribeiro · ABC/Disney Television Press — Yacht Rock Night official photos.

Guillermo Rodriguez’s DWTS Run Is Becoming an Audience Story Beyond the Scoreboard

Guillermo Rodriguez remains at the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard, but a new national-television moment shows why DMM’s Development Watch cannot be measured by scores alone.

During the October 1 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, John Oliver said his children had never watched Dancing with the Stars before this season and are now invested specifically because of Rodriguez. Oliver described his younger son waking early to ask whether Guillermo had survived the elimination, while the conversation also singled out the crowd-pleasing physical comedy inside Rodriguez’s Week 3 foxtrot.

That attention arrives alongside measurable ballroom progress. Rodriguez and Witney Carson have moved from 10/30 in the premiere cha-cha to 12/30 on Viral Hits Night and 15/30 for their Yacht Rock foxtrot. Carson has also publicly emphasized his work ethic, saying he continues practicing during rehearsal downtime and genuinely wants to improve.

Watch next: Mariah Carey Night returns Rodriguez to Latin with a samba to “Obsessed.” After three consecutive score increases, the useful question is whether his foxtrot gains in timing, confidence and partnership survive the faster rhythm assignment.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 2, 2026 — report and direct quotes from the Oct. 1 Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance · ABC/Disney Television Press — Oct. 1 Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode photos. Week 3 scores and Week 4 assignment are preserved in DMM’s verified Season 35 record.

Harry Shum Jr.’s Mariah Carey Night Tango Brings Him Back to a Song He Danced in 21 Years Ago

Week 4 now carries a piece of dance history: Shum has confirmed that he appeared as a backup dancer in Mariah Carey’s 2005 “It’s Like That” music video. On October 6, he and Jenna Johnson are scheduled to compete with a tango to the same song.

In a direct interview with E! News, Shum confirmed his appearance in the 2005 video and traced the opportunity to his work with choreographer Debbie Allen. ABC/Disney’s official Mariah Carey Night release independently confirms that Shum and Johnson will dance a tango to “It’s Like That,” featuring Jermaine Dupri and Fatman Scoop, on Tuesday’s episode.

The connection makes this more than a theme-night song assignment. Shum first encountered the record from the position of a commercial backup dancer inside a Mariah Carey production. Twenty-one years later, he returns to it as the named celebrity competitor, with ballroom technique and partnership now determining how the same musical history reads on television.

Shum also described his earlier iPod silhouette work as requiring deliberately enlarged shapes so movement would read graphically. That history gives DMM another useful contrast for Tuesday: commercial dance can reward projection and scale; partnered ballroom can demand economy, precision and a different relationship to another body.

Watch next: DMM will compare the October 6 tango with Shum’s existing Season 35 progression (21 → 18 → 24) and update the Transfer Test after the judges’ verified feedback and score.

Sources: E! News, Oct. 2, 2026 — direct interview with Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson · ABC/Disney Television Press, Oct. 1, 2026 — official Week 4 assignment. Related DMM: Harry Shum Jr. Ballroom Transfer Test.

Hailey Bills Says Her DWTS Season Continues After Elimination — and She Is Already Learning for a Possible Next Pro Run

The first-time pro’s competition ended after one routine, but her professional development did not. A new direct interview gives DMM the clearest evidence yet for one of Season 35’s standing questions: what happens to new pros after the celebrity partnership ends?

In an interview published October 2, Bills told The Hollywood Reporter that she still has “10 weeks on the show” after her premiere-week elimination with Sarah Jane Nader. Bills said the early exit was difficult, but framed the rest of Season 35 as continued work rather than a reason to remain stuck on the result.

Bills’ path to the pro roster was unusually fast. She joined the Season 34 troupe, spent the 2026 live tour performing alongside established professionals and said producers told her during that tour that she would become a Season 35 pro. Her debut partnership lasted one competitive jive, but she is now back inside the larger show environment rather than disappearing from the season.

Status: Bills did not announce a confirmed Season 36 pro contract. She said that if she is fortunate enough to return as a pro next season, she would enter with more knowledge about building from the ground up with a celebrity partner. DMM is treating that as professional-development context, not a casting announcement.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Oct. 2, 2026 — direct interview with Hailey Bills. Background verification: ABC’s official Season 35 cast announcement identifies Bills as a first-time pro after Season 34 troupe work.

ABC Adds Three Pro and Troupe Performances to Mariah Carey Night

The official Week 4 release expands Mariah Carey Night beyond the 12 celebrity routines, giving DMM three additional ensemble performances to watch for choreography, staging and professional-dancer visibility.

ABC has now confirmed that the October 6 episode will also include additional professional and troupe performances to “Heartbreaker” featuring JAY-Z, “Loverboy” and “Always Be My Baby.” The announcement follows the previously confirmed 12 celebrity song-and-dance assignments.

Broadcast: Mariah Carey Night airs Tuesday, October 6, from 8:00–10:00 p.m. EDT/PDT and 7:00–9:00 p.m. CDT on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu. ABC says viewer votes from the live voting window will again be combined with judges’ scores.

Media check: Disney’s official release provides a press-asset download portal. DMM is not inserting or re-hosting those assets in this master without confirming the applicable press-use terms for the selected files.

Official source: Disney Entertainment Television / ABC, Oct. 1, 2026.

Gleb Savchenko Calls Season 35 Absence a “Hiatus” — and Says DWTS Judges Should Score Harder

The longtime professional dancer says his absence from the Season 35 pro roster is a break rather than a retirement, while also weighing in on two questions already central to DMM’s season watch: judging standards and the value of prior dance experience.

In a direct interview published October 1, Savchenko described his time away from Dancing with the Stars as “a little break, a little hiatus, a little reset” and said he is not retired from the franchise. Savchenko, who first joined the U.S. series in 2013, was not included among the competing Season 35 professionals.

Watching from outside the ballroom has also sharpened his view of the competition. Savchenko said he does not believe the judges are scoring harshly enough and argued that lower paddles should remain available when the dancing warrants them. His comments arrive during a season in which judging format, compressed critique time and the relationship between judges’ scores and audience voting have already become recurring storylines.

Savchenko also rejected the idea that contestants such as Jenna Dewan automatically possess a decisive advantage simply because they have previous dance experience. His reasoning was technical: ballroom is partnered dancing, and learning choreography is different from creating connection, balance, frame and the push-pull relationship required between two dancers.

Status: Savchenko did not announce a confirmed Season 36 return. DMM is therefore recording his own description — hiatus, not retirement — without presenting a future casting decision as settled.

Source: Us Weekly, Oct. 1, 2026 — direct interview with Gleb Savchenko.

Taylor Hanson Reveals He Danced Through Left-Leg Numbness Before His Week 3 Elimination

The newly disclosed injury adds important technical context to Hanson and Britt Stewart’s three-week run: Hanson says numbness in his left leg had affected him since the opening week of competition.

In a post-elimination interview published October 1, Hanson revealed that he had been dealing with numbness in his left leg during Season 35. The issue was not publicly disclosed while he was still competing. He nevertheless completed the Week 3 foxtrot with Stewart, including the heel-led and traveling actions required by the style, before the partnership was eliminated on Yacht Rock Night with an 18/30.

Stewart praised Hanson for continuing to work through the physical limitation without allowing it to define the performance. The disclosure does not change the elimination result, but it changes how DMM reads the partnership’s technical progression: the audience and judges were evaluating a developing ballroom dancer without knowing that one leg was not providing normal sensation.

Editorial note: This update is based on Hanson’s own post-elimination disclosure as reported in a direct interview. DMM is avoiding speculation about diagnosis, severity or whether the injury affected the public vote.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 1, 2026 — post-elimination interview with Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart.

Mariah Carey Night Assignments Are Set: Rumba Dominates the Week 4 Dance Card

The official DWTS podcast has revealed all 12 Week 4 pairings, songs and dance styles ahead of the October 6 episode.

DMM Choreography Watch: Four couples draw rumba, making control, sustained movement and emotional phrasing unusually easy to compare across the same episode. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov arrive with a season-high 24 from their Yacht Rock foxtrot; Jenna Dewan/Val Chmerkovskiy and Ezra Frech/Daniella Karagach each scored 21 last week. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson move in the opposite direction technically, from a 24-point jive into tango, while Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik leave ballroom frame for jazz after their 21-point quickstep.

That distribution gives Week 4 a useful transfer test: can the current leaders preserve their scoring momentum when the movement quality changes? DMM will watch particularly closely for how Glenn translates skating-derived line and control into rumba, how Frech manages slower sustained weight transfer with his running blade, and how Shum handles tango’s frame and attack after the looseness and speed of jive.

Verification: Season 34 alumnus Andy Richter announced the lineup on the Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast. Entertainment Weekly published the complete assignment list on October 1. ABC separately confirms that the 12 remaining couples perform Mariah Carey Night on Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. on ABC and Disney+.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Oct. 1, 2026 · Disney Entertainment Television / ABC, Oct. 1, 2026.

Yacht Rock Night Draws 7.12 Million Viewers — DWTS’s Best Non-Finale Episode in Six Years

ABC’s first Week 3 ratings report shows Season 35 building rather than fading after premiere week.

Disney Entertainment Television reports that the September 29 Yacht Rock Night episode drew 7.12 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen Live+Same Day measurement. ABC says that makes it the show’s most-watched non-finale episode in six years, dating back to the Season 29 premiere on September 14, 2020.

The episode rose 11% over the prior Tuesday’s 6.44 million audience and ranked as the night’s top entertainment program despite competing with the Yankees–Red Sox MLB Wild Card game on NBC.

Measurement note: The 7.12 million figure is Nielsen National Live+Same Day Preliminary Panel Only data for September 29. It should not be directly compared with the 9.98 million seven-day cross-platform premiere figure as though the measurements are identical.

Official source: Disney Entertainment Television / ABC, Oct. 1, 2026.

DWTS Season 35 Premiere Grows to 9.98 Million Viewers Across Seven Days

ABC’s newest seven-day measurement shows the Season 35 Tuesday premiere reaching nearly 10 million viewers across linear and streaming — 17 percent above last season’s premiere.

Disney Entertainment Television reported on September 30 that the September 15 Season 35 Tuesday premiere reached a 9.98 million total cross-platform audience after seven days. ABC says that represents a 17% increase over the Season 34 premiere, which reached 8.50 million viewers on September 16, 2025.

The seven-day figure is also 47% above the episode’s initial 6.77 million Live+Same Day audience. ABC says the 9.98 million result surpassed every Season 34 episode except the finale.

Measurement note: These numbers should not be mixed with earlier same-day ratings as though they are the same metric. ABC identifies the 9.98 million figure as Nielsen Linear + SCR data based on seven days of viewing from the September 15 linear air date plus streaming first-stream data. The 6.77 million comparison is the initial Live+Same Day audience.

Media rights: Disney’s ratings release includes an Eric McCandless image and states that its press photography is copyrighted, for editorial publicity use only, and may not be archived, altered, duplicated, resold or retransmitted outside the stated terms. DMM has therefore not inserted the image into this replacement without a confirmed authorized press-asset workflow.

Official source: Disney Entertainment Television / ABC ratings release, Sept. 30, 2026.

Jan Ravnik Restores the Quickstep Section DWTS Viewers Missed After Camera Cutaway

A production cutaway during Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik’s Week 3 quickstep obscured several seconds of choreography from the television audience. Ravnik has now published the missing section himself.

Ali and Ravnik performed a quickstep to Hall & Oates’ “Maneater” on Yacht Rock Night and earned 21/30. During the routine, however, the broadcast camera moved away from the couple to an audience shot. The missed choreography included the pair hopping across the ballroom before Ravnik executed a full split.

Ravnik subsequently posted footage of the unseen section to his own social channels, explicitly identifying it as the portion viewers did not see during the broadcast. The correction matters because the partnership’s 21/30 represented another measurable step forward after scores of 12/30 and 18/30 in their earlier appearances.

Media check: Ravnik’s own social post is the relevant primary-source footage for the missing section. DMM is not re-hosting or reproducing the clip; the Newsroom documents the correction while preserving the original creator/source context.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 30, 2026 at 3:47 PM ET, documenting Ravnik’s primary-source post and the Yacht Rock Night broadcast cutaway.

DWTS Executive Producer Explains Why West Coast Viewers Still Have to Vote Before Seeing the Dances

A long-running voting problem is back in focus during Season 35: Pacific-time viewers can participate, but the voting window closes before the delayed West Coast broadcast lets them judge the performances for themselves.

Season 35 is performed in Los Angeles beginning at 5 p.m. PT and reaches Eastern viewers live at 8 p.m. ET. The West Coast television and Disney+ presentation does not begin until 8 p.m. PT. Because voting takes place during the live Eastern/Central broadcast and closes shortly after the final competitive dance, Pacific-time viewers who want their votes counted must generally vote before watching the performances locally.

Executive producer Conrad Green addressed the issue in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Green said the economics and importance of ABC’s local affiliates are a major reason the program is not simply made available at 5 p.m. PT across the West Coast. He acknowledged the frustration and said West Coast viewers can still participate by planning to vote during the earlier live window — effectively voting without having seen that night’s dances.

The official voting instructions remain the controlling source for each episode. Viewers should use the DWTS voting portal during the announced live window rather than assume voting remains open through a later local broadcast. This update does not represent a newly announced rule change; it documents the Season 35 system and the executive producer’s explanation for why the West Coast disparity persists.

Media check: No additional image is required for this format explainer. DMM is keeping the Newsroom focused on the voting mechanics and their competitive consequence rather than adding unrelated promotional imagery.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Sept. 30, 2026 — interview with executive producer Conrad Green · ABC official DWTS voting portal.

DWTS Pros Rally Around Britt Stewart After Taylor Hanson Elimination

The Yacht Rock Night elimination has developed into a professional-dancer story, with multiple members of the Season 35 ballroom publicly emphasizing Stewart’s work, teaching and unrealized finale potential.

In post-show interviews published by Entertainment Weekly, Sharna Burgess said she wants Stewart to receive the kind of partnership that can carry her to a finale and allow audiences to see a Britt Stewart freestyle. Brandon Armstrong called Stewart an elite dancer and elite professional, while Daniella Karagach described her as a phenomenal teacher. Jan Ravnik likewise praised Stewart as one of the best dancers he has worked with.

The reaction adds context to Taylor Hanson and Stewart’s 18/30 foxtrot elimination. Stewart became the first Black woman to join the DWTS professional roster in Season 29. She has not yet reached a finale; her highest finish remains fifth place with Daniel Durant in Season 31.

DMM Pro Watch: This is why eliminations cannot always be read only through celebrity placement. A professional dancer’s season determines which choreography audiences get to see, how long a teaching partnership can develop and whether that pro reaches late-season formats such as the freestyle. The response from Stewart’s peers turns her Week 3 exit into a broader question about opportunity: how much of a pro’s visible DWTS legacy is shaped by choreography and teaching, and how much depends on the competitive ceiling of the celebrity pairing?

Media check: The reporting includes Disney/Eric McCandless photography from Yacht Rock Night. DMM is retaining the verified credit but is not inserting the still without a confirmed press/publicity download path and editorial-use context.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 30, 2026 at 10:02 AM ET — post-show interviews with Sharna Burgess, Brandon Armstrong, Daniella Karagach, Jan Ravnik and other Season 35 cast members.

Witney Carson Says Pregnancy Is Not Limiting Her DWTS Run With Guillermo Rodriguez

The reigning Mirrorball-winning pro directly addressed speculation that she wanted her Season 35 partnership to end, saying she is happy to continue and does not feel she is physically overdoing it.

Carson responded on her own social media after viewers interpreted her reactions during recent elimination sequences as disappointment that she and Guillermo Rodriguez were still in the competition. She explained that the expression viewers were seeing was sadness for the couple being eliminated, followed by celebration that she and Rodriguez were safe.

Carson also addressed questions about competing while pregnant with her third child. She said she knows how far to push her body, is following her doctors’ guidance, rests when necessary and does not currently feel physically overextended. She added that the show is willing to provide assistance when needed. Carson said she feels good, though more tired than usual.

DMM Pro Watch: The relevant competition issue is not the rumor itself but Carson’s confirmation that pregnancy is not presently restricting her participation or choreography with Rodriguez. That distinction matters when evaluating the partnership: unless Carson or the production reports a medical limitation, DMM will treat their dance choices as competitive and choreographic decisions rather than assume they are pregnancy-driven.

Rodriguez and Carson scored 15/30 for their Yacht Rock Night foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).” Carson praised his rehearsal work and said he continues practicing even while she is resting. They remain among the 12 couples advancing to Week 4.

Media check: The report includes Disney photography of Carson and the partnership, but DMM is not inserting a still without a verified press/publicity download path and confirmed editorial-use context.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 30, 2026 at 10:47 AM ET, reporting Carson’s direct social-media statement.

Source link added Oct. 1, 2026: TODAY, Sept. 30, 2026 — Witney Carson reacts to speculation she wants to be voted off.

DWTS Announces First-Ever Super Bowl Night for October 13

Season 35 is adding a new theme to the franchise: the remaining couples will dance to music associated with memorable Super Bowl halftime performances.

The announcement was made Wednesday morning on Good Morning America by judge Derek Hough. Super Bowl Night is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, and will honor the music, spectacle and memorable moments associated with the NFL championship game. It is the first Super Bowl-themed episode in Dancing with the Stars history.

The special arrives during ABC and ESPN’s broader lead-up to Super Bowl LXI, which ABC and ESPN are scheduled to carry on February 14, 2027. Before then, Season 35 continues with Mariah Carey Night on October 6. The announced October schedule also includes Dedication Night on October 20 and Horror Movie Night on October 27.

DMM Choreography Watch: The concept has stronger dance potential than a conventional artist theme because Super Bowl halftime shows are built around large-scale choreography, staging, formations and instantly recognizable performance moments. The key question will be whether DWTS asks its professionals to reference that movement history or simply uses halftime-show songs as a soundtrack. DMM will track the song and dance assignments when ABC releases them.

Media check: The announcement is verified, but no official Week 5 performance footage exists yet. DMM is not inserting third-party imagery or speculative media before an official usable asset is available.

Verification: Announced on Good Morning America, Sept. 30, 2026. The announcement and October 13 date are independently reported by Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and Us Weekly.

Yacht Rock Night Resets the DWTS Leaderboard as Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart Are Eliminated

Season 35 is down to 12 couples after a night that produced new season-high scores, two rehearsal injuries and another on-air reminder that judge feedback remains squeezed for time.

ABC News confirms that Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart became the fourth partnership eliminated from Season 35 after their foxtrot to The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes.” The routine earned 18/30. Entertainment Weekly reports that Hanson and Stewart were called out for elimination after landing in the final group with Jackson Olson and Emma Slater and Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson.

Injury Watch: Julia Stiles sustained a rib injury while rehearsing lifts with Ezra Sosa. Despite the injury and an emotional rehearsal package following her 16/30 Week 2 tango, Stiles performed the Yacht Rock Night salsa and improved to 19/30. Amber Glenn’s rehearsal collision with Pashkov caused a bloody nose, but Pashkov returned to dance and the partnership went on to score 24/30. DMM will distinguish rehearsal incidents from competition-limiting injuries unless a contestant or the show confirms a continuing medical restriction.

Judging Watch: The Week 2 debate over compressed critiques did not disappear. During Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy’s samba, Derek Hough was played off by production music before completing his feedback. Alfonso Ribeiro acknowledged the interruption on-air. Hough had been explaining that Dewan’s choreography was difficult and that he wanted to see her eventually work in a smoother style with more room to breathe. Dewan and Chmerkovskiy received three 7s for 21/30.

DMM Dance Watch: Yacht Rock Night changed the technical picture of the season. Glenn/Pashkov and Shum/Johnson now share the season-high score at 24, while the five-foxtrot slate made differences in frame, travel and control easier to compare. Frech/Karagach remained competitive at 21 while translating the running-blade mechanics DMM has been tracking into foxtrot. The most important Week 3 story is therefore larger than the elimination: the early leaderboard is beginning to separate according to how quickly partnerships can transfer technique from one dance family to another.

Media check: ABC News and Entertainment Weekly published Disney/ABC photography from the episode, but DMM is not inserting a still without a verified press/publicity download path and confirmed editorial-use context. No unverified social-media rip has been added.

Sources: ABC News / Good Morning America, Sept. 29, 2026 · Entertainment Weekly Yacht Rock Night recap, Sept. 29, 2026 · Entertainment Weekly on Derek Hough’s interrupted critique, Sept. 29, 2026.

Carrie Ann Inaba Adds the Feedback She Couldn’t Give Giada De Laurentiis on Air

Inaba’s post-show comments extend the Week 2 debate over DWTS’ one-word judging format.

After Viral Hits Night, Carrie Ann Inaba wrote that she was disappointed she could not give Giada De Laurentiis fuller feedback during the broadcast. She expanded on the one-word critique by praising De Laurentiis for entering the ballroom as a true beginner and for the courage and joy she brought to learning.

DMM Analysis: The follow-up reinforces why critique time matters. A one-word reaction may keep a live broadcast moving, but it can erase the technical and developmental context that helps viewers understand what a beginner actually accomplished. DMM will watch whether normal-length comments return with 13 couples.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 25, 2026.

DWTS Week 3 Yacht Rock Night: All 13 Songs and Dance Styles Are Set

ABC/Disney has confirmed the complete September 29 slate for the 13 remaining couples.

Yacht Rock Night airs Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 8–10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu. The official assignments are:

ABC/Disney also says Yacht Rock Night will include additional professional and troupe performances to “This Is It” by Kenny Loggins, “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain & Tennille and “Baby Come Back” by Player. The release does not identify which troupe dancers will appear in those numbers.

DMM Analysis: The distribution is unusually ballroom-heavy: five foxtrots and two quicksteps put frame, travel and continuity at the center of the night, while the jive, salsa, samba, cha-cha and paso doble assignments create useful contrast. The additional troupe numbers also give DMM a concrete professional-dancer development watchpoint without assuming the lineup before ABC names it. DMM will not post Week 3 scores until the dances have aired and the results are verified.

Source: ABC/Disney Television Press, Sept. 24, 2026.

Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach Put Two Athlete Partnerships Atop DWTS Week 2

Amber Glenn and Ezra Frech each reached 21/30 with choreography from the married professional-dance partners.

Good Morning America highlighted the Week 2 performances of Olympic champion Amber Glenn with Pasha Pashkov and Paralympic champion Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach. Both couples scored 21/30 and shared the night’s top score with Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy. The report also notes Pashkov and Karagach’s long competitive partnership and championship background.

DMM Analysis: The parallel is worth tracking because the athletes bring very different movement systems into ballroom. The professional task is not simply to showcase athleticism; it is to reshape skating glide and track-and-field power into dance-specific weight transfer, partnering and musical structure.

Source: Good Morning America / ABC News, Sept. 24, 2026.

Ezra Frech Explains Why He Dances on a Running Blade That Makes Cha-Cha More Unstable

Frech has explained the equipment choice behind one of Season 35’s most distinctive movement challenges.

Ezra Frech said he is choosing his running-blade prosthetic for DWTS rather than his walking leg. The blade is designed around high-speed running mechanics and can leave him less stable in stationary or dance-specific movement, creating a different balance problem for ballroom and Latin choreography.

DMM Analysis: That detail changes how the audience can read the work. The technical question is not whether Frech can reproduce another dancer’s mechanics exactly; it is how he and Daniella Karagach build clear rhythm, weight changes, partnering and performance around the mechanics available to him.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 23, 2026.

Derek Hough Responds After DWTS Viewers Push Back on One-Word Judge Critiques

The Week 2 timing device became a post-show discussion after viewers questioned how much useful feedback was being lost.

Derek Hough addressed criticism of the one-word judging rule used during Viral Hits Night. The rule compressed one judge’s response after each routine while the field still contained 14 couples, allowing the two-hour live show to move more quickly.

DMM Analysis: The production problem is understandable, but the dance cost is real: less time means fewer explanations of timing, frame, footwork, weight placement and performance choices. With the field now down to 13, Week 3 becomes the first test of whether the format was temporary.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 23, 2026.

ABC Says DWTS Season 35’s Two-Night Premiere Was the Show’s Most-Watched Premiere in Six Years

ABC/Disney’s updated Nielsen release puts Night 2 at 6.44 million viewers and the revised Night 1 audience at 6.77 million.

According to ABC/Disney Television Press, Premiere Night 2 drew 6.44 million total viewers and a 1.32 rating among adults 18–49. The network’s updated figure for Night 1 is 6.77 million viewers with a 1.44 adults 18–49 rating. ABC says the two-night average represents the show’s most-watched premiere in six years.

DMM Analysis: The ratings do not tell us which dance stories are driving individual viewers, but they do establish that Season 35 opened with a large live audience. That makes the show’s treatment of technique, professional dancers and developmental arcs especially relevant to DMM’s coverage.

Source: ABC/Disney Television Press, Sept. 23, 2026.

Daniella Karagach Says Ezra Frech’s DWTS Crowd Reaction Is Something She Hasn’t Heard “in Years”

The pro dancer described the ballroom response surrounding Frech as unusually strong early in the season.

After Frech’s early Season 35 performances, Daniella Karagach described the in-room audience response as exceptional compared with what she has heard in recent years. Frech and Karagach then reached 21/30 on Viral Hits Night, tying for the Week 2 lead.

DMM Analysis: Crowd reaction is not a score and it is not a vote count, so DMM keeps it separate from competitive standing. What it does tell us is that this partnership is producing a strong live-room response while also progressing technically.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 23, 2026.

Maura Higgins Broke Mark Ballas’ Tooth During a DWTS Week 2 Spin Rehearsal

A rehearsal mishap became a reminder of the physical precision required when speed and partnering increase.

Maura Higgins revealed that she accidentally chipped or broke part of Mark Ballas’ tooth during a Week 2 rehearsal spin. Ballas continued preparing the routine, and the pair later performed their Viral Hits Night dance.

DMM Analysis: The incident is more than backstage trivia when read through a dance lens: rotational timing, spacing and partner awareness have real physical consequences. DMM will keep rehearsal stories when they illuminate the work behind what viewers see on the floor.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 23, 2026.

Jenna Johnson Explains the Choice Behind Harry Shum Jr.’s Viral “Iris” Scream on DWTS

The Week 2 performance moment was intentional choreography built around emotional release rather than an accident in the routine.

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson explained the vocal moment inside their Week 2 routine to “Iris.” The scream was part of the performance concept and tied to the emotional release they wanted the routine to communicate.

DMM Analysis: This is the kind of choreographic detail DMM wants to preserve: a memorable moment works best when it is connected to the dance’s dramatic structure rather than added only for virality. The next test is whether theatrical choices continue to support, rather than obscure, ballroom technique.

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 23, 2026.

DWTS Used One-Word Judge Reactions to Keep Viral Hits Night on Schedule

With 14 couples still performing, Season 35 temporarily compressed part of the judges’ critique to keep the live show moving.

ABC-owned On The Red Carpet reports that the third judge speaking after each Viral Hits Night performance was asked to summarize the critique in one word so the broadcast could stay on schedule. The judges sometimes stretched the rule for humor, but the production change was visible throughout the episode.

DMM Analysis: This is a small format adjustment with a real dance consequence: when critique time shrinks, viewers hear less technical explanation about frame, timing, footwork and performance quality. As the field gets smaller, DMM will watch whether fuller judging commentary returns.

Source: ABC7 / On The Red Carpet, Sept. 23, 2026.

Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech and Amber Glenn Tie for the DWTS Week 2 Lead at 21/30

Viral Hits Night reset the top of the Season 35 judges’ leaderboard, with three partnerships sharing first place.

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy scored 21/30 for their jive, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach scored 21/30 for their cha-cha, and Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov scored 21/30 for their tango. ABC-owned coverage specifically praised Pashkov’s tango choreography in the judges’ comments, while all three couples received three 7s.

DMM Analysis: The Week 2 tie matters because the premiere did not produce one stable front-runner. Dewan improved from 19/30 to 21/30, while Harry Shum Jr. moved from 21/30 to 18/30 and Maura Higgins from 21/30 to 19/30. The early leaderboard is moving with the dance assignment, not simply following celebrity dance background.

Source: ABC7 / On The Red Carpet, Sept. 23, 2026.

Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten Eliminated on DWTS Viral Hits Night

The celebrity chef became Season 35’s third elimination after a salsa that left her tied at the bottom of the judges’ scoreboard.

Giada De Laurentiis and professional partner Alan Bersten were eliminated on September 22 after performing a salsa to Becky G’s “Bella Ciao.” They received 4s from Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli for a total of 12/30. ABC News confirms the elimination; ABC-owned On The Red Carpet confirms the score and reports that Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson also scored 12/30.

DMM Analysis: De Laurentiis entered Week 2 already managing the broken-toe story DMM had been tracking. Viral Hits Night became the point where the injury context, a difficult salsa and the combined judges’-score/viewer-vote format converged. The public results establish who went home; they do not disclose the underlying vote totals.

Watch the full Viral Hits Night episode on ABC →

Sources: ABC News / Good Morning America, Sept. 22, 2026 · ABC7 / On The Red Carpet, Sept. 23, 2026.

Adele Zaikman Addresses the DWTS Voting Failure After Her Season 35 Elimination

The first winner of The Next Pro is now speaking directly about the premiere-night voting problem that coincided with her and Conner Leavitt’s elimination.

Zaikman said on Fire Chats: The Mindfire Pod that she was disappointed her first flagship-season partnership ended after one routine, while accepting that elimination is part of the competition. Asked about the premiere voting problem, she acknowledged that “maybe the voting issue made it complicated” and said she is focused on moving forward rather than trying to relitigate a result she cannot change.

The context matters. ABC’s online voting system failed during Night 1, leaving text voting as the available viewer-vote method. Conner Leavitt also shared a nearly identical first name with fellow contestant Connor Wood, requiring voters to distinguish between the two text keywords. Leavitt and Zaikman scored 12/30 and were eliminated; Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson scored 10/30 and advanced.

Read DMM’s full elimination analysis →

Sources

• Entertainment Weekly — Zaikman addresses the elimination and voting issue, Sept. 21, 2026
• ABC7 Los Angeles — Night 1 voting failure, scores and elimination

ABC Confirms Season 35 Runs Through Nov. 24 — With Disney Night Moving to Monday, Nov. 2

The theme-night roadmap now has an official broadcast-calendar wrinkle: one November episode leaves the show’s regular Tuesday slot.

ABC’s official viewing guide now confirms that Dancing with the Stars Season 35 continues through Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2026. It also confirms a one-week schedule change: the show will simulcast live on Monday, Nov. 2, instead of Tuesday, Nov. 3, before returning to Tuesdays on Nov. 10.

That Nov. 2 broadcast aligns with the Disney Night position announced in the season’s official theme-night sequence. The remaining roadmap therefore places Grammy Night on Nov. 10, the semifinals on Nov. 17 and the finale on Nov. 24. Week 5 on Oct. 13 remains the one theme slot not yet identified in the official theme announcement.

Sources

• ABC Support — official Season 35 live broadcast schedule through Nov. 24 and Nov. 2 Monday simulcast
• ABC/Disney Press — Viral Hits Night, Sept. 22

Adele Zaikman & Hailey Bills Stay in the Ballroom: Both First-Time Pros Move Into Season 35 Troupe Work

The premiere eliminated both of Season 35’s first-time celebrity-paired pros first. Their professional season, however, is not over.

Carrie Ann Inaba has addressed the unusual Week 1 result after Adele Zaikman and Hailey Bills became the first two professional dancers eliminated with their celebrity partners. Zaikman entered the flagship cast by winning Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro; Bills moved up after troupe work and the live tour. Inaba called the coincidence sad but framed it as part of their development, saying both dancers have significant potential.

The more important professional update is what happens next: reporting following the premiere says Zaikman and Bills will continue performing with the Season 35 troupe, keeping them inside the broadcast ecosystem even though Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader are out of the competition. That gives DMM’s Next Pro tracker its first concrete post-elimination data point.

Sources: E! News — Carrie Ann Inaba reacts to the two new pros’ Week 1 eliminations; Deseret News — Zaikman and Bills will join the Season 35 troupe after elimination; ABC — official Season 35 cast and pro lineup.

Witney Carson Pushes Back on Guillermo Rodriguez’s 10/30 — as He Commits to Learning the Paso Doble

The reigning Mirrorball-winning pro says two of Guillermo’s premiere scores were too harsh. More important for DMM’s development tracker: the contestant who initially wanted to go home now says he wants to learn and improve.

On the Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast, Witney Carson challenged the two 3s Guillermo Rodriguez received from Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli for his Night 1 cha-cha. The 10/30 total was the lowest score of the Season 35 premiere, but viewer support kept the pair in the competition.

Rodriguez also revealed that before the season began he repeatedly said he wanted to go home. Surviving Week 1 changed the assignment: he now says he wants to learn how to dance, practice and do better in Week 2. Carson said his rehearsal commitment has increased. Their next test is a Paso Doble on Viral Hits Night.

Sources: Comments were made on the Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast, which ABC identifies as the show’s official weekly podcast. People — Witney Carson on Guillermo Rodriguez’s scores, Sept. 19, 2026; Us Weekly — Guillermo on wanting to leave before the premiere and his Week 2 commitment, Sept. 18, 2026; ABC — Season 35 cast and Official Podcast information.

Derek Hough Explains the Premiere Solos: They Filled DWTS’ Live Vote-Tally Window

A viewer question about why Derek and Julianne Hough received showcase dances produced a useful look at how live DWTS television is built around the competition.

Derek Hough says the Hough siblings’ solo showcases during the two-night Season 35 premiere were used to fill roughly three minutes while the live vote was being tallied. With the competing professional dancers occupied with their celebrity partners, Julianne performed a Paris-themed jazz number on Night 1, while Derek danced a Paso Doble with Hayley Erbert Hough on Night 2.

Derek also clarified that his Paso Doble was newly choreographed for the television broadcast. It drew inspiration from material associated with the couple’s Symphony of Dance tour, but he said the ballroom number itself was created for the show.

Also on the pro desk: Emma Slater revealed a painful big-toe/nail injury after Week 1 but remains in competition with Jackson Olson. DMM has added her to Injury Watch alongside Giada De Laurentiis.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly — Derek Hough explains the premiere showcases, Sept. 18, 2026; Entertainment Weekly — Emma Slater injury update, Sept. 18, 2026.

DWTS Week 2 Pairings Are Set: Viral Hits Night Puts Tango, Salsa and Cha-Cha Under the Spotlight

ABC has released the dance styles and music assignments for all 14 remaining couples ahead of the September 22 episode.

Tango: Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov; Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong; Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa; Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold.

Cha-cha: Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach; Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart; Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas.

Salsa: Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten; Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess.

Foxtrot: Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik; Jackson Olson & Emma Slater. Jive: Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy. Viennese waltz: Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson. Paso doble: Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson.

Notable music assignments include Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” for Tatyana Ali’s foxtrot, Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” for Harry Shum Jr.’s Viennese waltz, KATSEYE’s “Animal” for Jenna Dewan’s jive, Teddy Swims’ “The Door” for Julia Stiles’ tango, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” for Maura Higgins’ cha-cha.

Verification: ABC released the Week 2 assignments for the September 22 Viral Hits Night. The full pairings were reported September 18 by Entertainment Weekly and Us Weekly.

DWTS Reveals the Season 35 Theme-Night Roadmap: Mariah Carey, Yacht Rock, Disney and More

The schedule now gives the professionals a map of the musical and storytelling constraints they will have to solve across the season.

The full Season 35 theme-night lineup was announced September 18 on the Official DWTS Podcast, hosted by Season 34 alumnus Andy Richter. Week 2 is Viral Hits, followed by Yacht Rock in Week 3 and Mariah Carey Night in Week 4. Week 5 remains TBA. The back half includes Dedication Night (Week 6), Horror Movie Night (Week 7), Disney Night (Week 8), Grammy Night (Week 9), the Semi-Finals (Week 10) and the Finale (Week 11).

Verification: The lineup was announced on the Official DWTS Podcast on Sept. 18 and reported as ABC’s Season 35 theme schedule by Us Weekly. Week 5 remains unannounced; DMM will not speculate on its theme.

Giada De Laurentiis Reveals She Danced the Season 35 Premiere With a Broken Toe

The injury DMM was already tracking as a bruised toe was more serious: De Laurentiis says Alan Bersten’s knee landed on her foot in rehearsal and broke her middle toe before her Night 2 tango.

De Laurentiis still performed the tango to Shocking Blue’s “Venus” on September 16 and received 16/30. Entertainment Weekly reports that she had been managing the injury with ice and Epsom salt for eight days. Bersten described his partner as a fighter for continuing through the pain.

Source: Entertainment Weekly — Giada De Laurentiis confirms broken toe, Sept. 18, 2026. DMM’s Sept. 15 rehearsal entry had previously documented the injury as a bruised toe based on reporting available at the time.

Maura Higgins Tops Night 2 With 21/30; Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills Eliminated

The two-night Season 35 premiere is complete. Fourteen couples advance, and DMM now has a full opening-week scorecard.

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas led the women’s premiere field with a 21/30 foxtrot to Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet.” Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy followed with 19/30 for a tango to Blondie’s “Call Me,” while Amber Glenn with Pasha Pashkov and Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa each earned 18/30.

The final three couples awaiting the result were Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten, Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, and Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik. Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills were eliminated after their 14/30 jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.” ABC News confirms that 14 couples remain after the two-night premiere.

Sources

• ABC News / Good Morning America — Season 35 elimination tracker, updated Sept. 16, 2026
• ABC7 / On The Red Carpet — Night 2 recap, scores, elimination and voting restoration, Sept. 17, 2026
• ABC/Disney Television Press — official premiere dances and songs

ABC Says the Season 35 Premiere Drew 6.67 Million Viewers — the Show’s Biggest Premiere Audience in Six Years

The first-night audience grew 24% from the Season 34 premiere, according to ABC’s release citing Nielsen preliminary panel data.

ABC reported 6.67 million total viewers for the September 15 Season 35 premiere, up 24% from 5.38 million for the Season 34 premiere. ABC also reported a 1.48 Adults 18–49 rating, up 40% year over year. The network described it as the show’s biggest premiere audience since Season 29 in 2020.

Source: ABC/Disney Television Press, Sept. 16, 2026. Figures are preliminary Live+Same Day panel measurements as specified by ABC.

Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman Eliminated After DWTS Online Voting Fails on Night 1

The first Season 35 result also became the first real test of the new premiere format — and of The Next Pro pipeline.

Conner Leavitt and new professional Adele Zaikman were eliminated at the end of the September 15 Season 35 premiere after scoring 12/30 for their salsa to “Whoomp! (There It Is).” Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson led the men’s field with 21/30 for their cha-cha to “Let’s Groove.”

The result came on a night when the show announced a failure of its online voting system. Viewers were directed to vote by text, and the online votes were not used for Night 1. ABC-owned coverage reported that the hosts nevertheless announced more than double the votes received for last season’s premiere, despite only eight couples competing on the first night.

Read the full DMM analysis →

Sources

• ABC/Disney Press — official Season 35 two-night premiere release
• ABC7 Los Angeles — Night 1 scores, voting failure and elimination

Season 35 Opens With Immediate Eliminations — Every First Dance Has Consequences

A two-night premiere splits the cast into separate men’s and women’s fields, and both nights end with someone going home.

Season 35 opens September 15 and 16, 2026, with the cast divided by night: male celebrities dance first, female celebrities follow on night two. One male and one female celebrity are eliminated during premiere week — the first premiere-week elimination format of this kind since 2018. Sixteen celebrity and professional partnerships are competing.

Mark Ballas publicly noted the unusual competitive dynamic created by splitting the cast into two separate fields. It is a real structural change: couples are no longer judged against the full season lineup on opening night, but against half of it.

Sources

• ABC/Disney Press — official two-night premiere release
• Entertainment Weekly — premiere elimination twist
• Entertainment Weekly — premiere schedule and how to watch

Related DMM coverage: Dancing with the Stars master guide  ·  Does prior dance experience win Season 35?

The Next Pro Returns to the Ballroom — But Only Adele Zaikman Has the Job

A reunion performance is exposure. A professional contract is employment. Season 35 is where that difference gets tested.

Adele Zaikman won the first season of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, and her prize was a professional position on Season 35. ABC’s Season 35 cast materials list her as Conner Leavitt’s professional partner — the contract is real and it is documented.

Premiere reporting also indicates that Zaikman, Allen Genkin, Selena Hamilton and Erik Linder prepared a reunion performance. DMM is not describing Genkin, Hamilton or Linder as newly hired Season 35 professionals. Appearing in a reunion number is not the same as being employed by the show, and unless ABC separately announces employment, this page will not blur the two.

Read the full DMM story →

Sources

• ABC/Disney Press — official Season 35 cast and pro partnerships
• ABC/Disney Press — The Next Pro
• Entertainment Weekly — The Next Pro crowns its first winner

Alfonso Ribeiro Sees Harry Shum Jr., Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles as Early Season 35 Contenders

The host is naming names before a single score is read — and he has stood where these celebrities are standing.

Speaking around the 2026 Emmy period, Alfonso Ribeiro discussed Season 35 and singled out experienced performers he expects to be strong, naming Harry Shum Jr., Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles, while also noting that other cast members have impressed him.

Treat this as preseason expectation, not evidence. Hosts see rehearsal footage and rehearsal footage flatters everyone. What it does establish is where the conversation starts: three contestants arrive already carrying a dance reputation.

Source

• Primetimer — Alfonso Ribeiro on Emmy recognition and Season 35

Related DMM coverage: Does prior dance experience win Season 35?  ·  Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson, Season 19

Harry Shum Jr. Is the First Test of Season 35’s Dance-Experience Debate

Training gives a dancer a floor. The ballroom decides what it does not give him automatically.

Harry Shum Jr. is partnered with Jenna Johnson and brings substantial dance and choreography experience into the competition. He performs during the men’s premiere night; Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles perform during the women’s night, which means the season’s most-discussed experience question opens on two separate evenings.

DMM has already laid out what previous training may give Harry. The premiere is where we start learning what it does not hand him — ballroom frame, partner connection under a judge’s eye, Latin hip action, and the specific discipline of dancing someone else’s choreography in a televised competition format.

Night 1 result: Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson danced a cha-cha to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove” and received 7s from Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli for 21/30 — the highest judges’ total of the men’s premiere field. Inaba praised Harry’s electricity while cautioning against overexaggeration and emphasizing the required technique; Tonioli highlighted the partnership’s chemistry.

DMM checkpoint: the first evidence supports the distinction this tracker was built to test. Performance confidence and musicality transferred immediately; ballroom/Latin specificity remains the work.

Sources

• ABC/Disney Press — official Season 35 cast and pro partnerships
• Entertainment Weekly — premiere schedule

Related DMM coverage: Does prior dance experience win Season 35?

Head Bumps, Drops and a Bruised Toe: Season 35 Rehearsals Are Already Taking a Toll

Before the first score is read, the professionals are managing bodies that have never done this work before.

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas bumped heads during rehearsal. Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess also knocked heads while working through a trick that involved a drop. Giada De Laurentiis sustained a bruised toe while preparing with Alan Bersten, and Ciara Miller has discussed significant soreness during training. Current reporting does not establish that any of these issues will prevent a couple from competing.

Sources

• Entertainment Weekly — rehearsal head bumps and drops
• Entertainment Weekly — Giada De Laurentiis injury
• E! News — Giada De Laurentiis toe injury

DWTS Opens Season 35 With Five Emmy Nominations and Renewed Industry Momentum

Recognition is context for the new season, not the headline of it.

Dancing with the Stars received five 2026 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program — its first nomination in that major category in a decade. Alfonso Ribeiro publicly celebrated the recognition and emphasized the volume of work behind a live production.

Sources

• People — Alfonso Ribeiro on the DWTS Emmy recognition
• People — The Traitors wins Outstanding Reality Competition Program
• Disney+ — 2026 Emmy nominations guide