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Dancing With the Stars Opens Season 35 With Two‑Night Live Premiere and Immediate Eliminations

Split‑gender live shows use same‑night viewer votes combined with judges’ scores to send one couple home each night, signaling a move toward heavier streaming and social engagement.

Overview

  • The Season 35 premiere ran as a two‑night event on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 15–16, with both episodes broadcast live on ABC and Disney+ and available next day on Hulu.
  • Night one featured the eight male celebrities performing to No. 1 songs from their birth years and night two will feature the eight female celebrities under the same theme.
  • Each premiere night ends with one elimination decided by judges’ scores plus viewer votes cast only for that night’s contestants, shortening the time couples have to show improvement.
  • Adele Zaikman, winner of the spinoff The Next Pro, debuted as a new professional this season and is partnered with Conner Leavitt.
  • Producers are leaning on streaming and social platforms to drive engagement with official online voting at dwtsvote.abc.com and U.S. SMS voting via participating carriers while a limited‑source report says contestant social‑media use may be mandatory this season.