Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Premiere Highlights
Ladies’ Night Showcase
The premiere of Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) featured female celebrities taking the spotlight. The two-night premiere was divided by gender, with the male stars performing on Tuesday and the women on Wednesday.
Notable Contestants from Wednesday Night:
- Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
- Giada De Laurentiis (Celebrity Chef)
- Jenna Dewan (The Rookie, Step Up)
- Amber Glenn (Olympic Gold Medalist)
- Maura Higgins (Love Island)
- Ciara Miller (Summer House)
- Sarah Jane Nader (Love Thy Nader)
- Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You)
By the end of the episode, Sarah Jane Nader was eliminated, pairing with pro dancer Hailey Bills, a newcomer to the series.
Scores of the Evening:
- Early High Scores: Amber and Pasha Pashkov scored 18/30.
- Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa also tied with a score of 18/30 after their quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas topped the leaderboard for the women with a score of 21/30.
Male Contestants from the Previous Night:
- Harry Shum Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy)
- Tyler Cameron (The Bachelorette)
- Taylor Hanson (Hanson)
- Guillermo Rodriguez (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
- Ezra Frech (Paralympic Gold Medalist)
Harry Shum Jr. led the men with a score of 21/30, while Conner Leavitt was the first contestant eliminated from the competition.
Viewer Engagement and Ratings:
The premiere attracted 6.67 million viewers, marking a 24% increase from the previous year’s debut, making it the most watched premiere since Season 29 in 2020. Online voting glitches were reported, prompting a switch to text voting for the Tuesday episode.
Upcoming Schedule:
Dancing With the Stars airs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 PM across ABC and is available for streaming on Disney+ the following day. Full scores for the female contestants were announced, showcasing the competitive nature of the season right from the start.
For comprehensive coverage and scores, visit The Hollywood Reporter.
