Spoilers for both premiere episodes: Dancing With the Stars Season 35 opened across two nights, September 15 and 16, 2026. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson and Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas tied for the highest Week 1 judges’ score at 21/30. Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman went home after Night One; Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills were eliminated after Night Two.
How the two-night premiere worked
The Season 35 premiere was split into two episodes: the men competed on September 15, 2026, and the women on September 16. Each celebrity danced to a song that had reached No. 1 in the year they were born. Because the cast performed on separate nights, the combined Week 1 leaderboard below is a retrospective ranking across both episodes—not a single-night scoreboard.
Combined Week 1 judges’ leaderboard
These totals are out of 30. Couples tied on the same total share a rank.
| Rank | Couple | Score | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson | 21/30 | Night One |
| T-1 | Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas | 21/30 | Night Two |
| 3 | Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach | 20/30 | Night One |
| 4 | Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy | 19/30 | Night Two |
| T-5 | Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov | 18/30 | Night Two |
| T-5 | Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa | 18/30 | Night Two |
| 7 | Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess | 17/30 | Night One |
| T-8 | Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold | 16/30 | Night One |
| T-8 | Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart | 16/30 | Night One |
| T-8 | Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten | 16/30 | Night Two |
| T-11 | Jackson Olson & Emma Slater | 15/30 | Night One |
| T-11 | Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong | 15/30 | Night Two |
| 13 | Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills | 14/30 | Night Two |
| T-14 | Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman | 12/30 | Night One |
| T-14 | Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik | 12/30 | Night Two |
| 16 | Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson | 10/30 | Night One |
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten’s total is reported inconsistently: TV Insider’s prose gives 17/30, but the judges’ marks it lists (6, 5, and 5) add to 16. Parade’s breakdown and the combined leaderboard also give 16/30, which is the total shown here.
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What stood out on each night
Night One: Harry Shum Jr. leads with a cha-cha
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson scored 21/30 for their cha-cha, the highest total of the first episode. Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach followed with 20/30 for a tango. Judges’ comments addressed elements such as timing, frame, foot articulation, control, partnering, performance, and musicality; these are the judges’ assessments rather than independent measurements of dance technique.
Night Two: Maura Higgins matches the top score
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas earned 21/30 for a foxtrot, tying the first night’s leading total. Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy scored 19/30. Jackson Olson and Emma Slater scored 15/30; judge Derek Hough called Olson “a natural born performer” before commenting on his technique.
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Who was eliminated in Week 1?
- Night One: Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman were eliminated.
- Night Two: Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills were eliminated.
Judges’ scores were combined with viewer votes, so a low judges’ total alone does not establish why a couple went home. The leaderboard is useful for comparing the judges’ marks, but it is not the complete elimination result.
How many people watched the premiere?
ABC reported 6.67 million total viewers for the Tuesday, September 15, 2026 premiere. ABC said that was 24% more than the 5.38 million viewers for the Season 34 premiere. The 6.67 million figure refers to the Tuesday episode, not a combined audience for both premiere nights.
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Where to watch the episodes
ABC said the premiere was simulcast on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available the next day on Hulu. Streaming availability can vary by location and may change over time.
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