Following a high-stakes series of performances on Sept. 16, 2024, Dancing With the Stars concluded its second night of the Season 35 premiere by sending home influencer Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills, according to coverage from TODAY. The double-night premiere event kicked off on Sept. 15 with the male celebrities, resulting in the elimination of Conner Leavitt and partner Adele Zaikman, before pivoting to the female celebrity lineup on Wednesday night.
Night Two Performances and Leaderboard Standings
The eight female contenders took to the ballroom floor on Wednesday, Sept. 16, performing routines set to Billboard No. 1 hits from the respective years they were born, according to TODAY. Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough managed the broadcast, which featured judging from Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough. Technical voting issues that impacted the Monday premiere were resolved by Wednesday, allowing fans to resume casting votes online and via text, as reported by TODAY.
Topping the night two leaderboard were Maura Higgins and partner Mark Ballas, who earned a 21 out of 30 for their gothic foxtrot set to Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet,” matching the high score set on night one by Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, according to TODAY and Yahoo. At the other end of the scoreboard, Tatyana Ali and partner Jan Ravnik finished with a 12 out of 30 after performing a jive to Amii Stewart’s “Knock on Wood,” drawing strict critiques from the judging panel regarding room for growth.
Scores for the Season 35 Female Contenders
According to TODAY, the scores for the remaining female celebrity couples on night two break down as follows:
- Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: Foxtrot (“Black Velvet”) — 21/30
- Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy: Tango (“Call Me”) — 19/30
- Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: Cha Cha (“Smooth”) — 18/30
- Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: Quickstep (“9 to 5”) — 18/30
- Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten: Tango (“Venus”) — 16/30
- Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong: Foxtrot (“Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”) — 15/30
- Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills: Jive (“Sk8er Boi”) — 14/30
- Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: Jive (“Knock on Wood”) — 12/30
Emotions and Elimination
The Wednesday broadcast featured several emotional moments on stage. According to Yahoo, tears flowed from Giada De Laurentiis, Ciara Miller, judge Carrie Ann Inaba, and co-host Alfonso Ribeiro during various critiques and scoring reveals. De Laurentiis secured a 16 out of 30 with professional partner Alan Bersten.
After all judges’ scores and viewer votes were tallied, Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills were eliminated from the competition, following Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman who exited after night one, as documented by TODAY. Dancing With the Stars returns on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2024, with the remaining 14 couples tackling a new style of dance.
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