Dancing with the Stars Season 34 Premiere: Robert Irwin and Whitney Leavitt Lead with Top Scores
Dancing with the Stars officially returned for its 34th season, marking 20 years on air as one of ABC’s most beloved reality competitions. The premiere episode featured a star-studded cast of 15 celebrity contestants paired with professional dancers as they performed routines to their personal life anthems. Each performance was judged by Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, as Carrie Ann Inaba was absent due to illness. With only two judges, scores were out of 20 points instead of the traditional 30.
The new season’s lineup includes a mix of actors, influencers, athletes, and reality stars. Notable names include Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, NBA star Baron Davis, influencer Alix Earle, The Traitors winner Dylan Efron, and Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui. Others like Robert Irwin, Danielle Fishel, Elaine Hendrix, and Hilaria Baldwin also brought strong performances and inspiring stories to the ballroom.
The highest scores of the night were earned by Robert Irwin and Whitney Leavitt, both receiving 15/20. Irwin’s performance was especially praised by judge Derek Hough, who called it “the best first dance I’ve ever seen on the show.” This marked an emotional milestone, as Irwin competed 10 years after his sister Bindi Irwin won Season 21 with Hough.
The night also saw personal reflections from several contestants. Danielle Fishel opened up about surviving cancer, Corey Feldman revealed he’s dancing with scoliosis, and Hilaria Baldwin returned to dancing after recovering from a hip injury. Meanwhile, comedian Andy Richter humorously admitted his motivation was the “paycheck.”
In a production glitch, judge Tonioli held up a 7 for Leavitt but accidentally input an 8 into the system, giving her a final score of 15. The audience was notably filled with the cast of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, cheering on Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt, who both star in the reality show.
No eliminations occurred during the premiere, but a double elimination is scheduled for next week’s episode. Returning pro dancers like Gleb Savchenko, Val Chmerkovskiy, Emma Slater, and Mark Ballas joined newcomer Jan Ravnik, best known as a dancer on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Hosting duties were handled by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough.
Here’s a full breakdown of the premiere scores:
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Robert Irwin & Witney Carson – 15/20
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Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas – 15/20
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Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko – 14/20
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Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy – 13/20
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Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong – 13/20
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Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten – 12/20
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Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov – 12/20
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Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik – 12/20
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Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa – 10/20
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Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach – 10/20
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Baron Davis & Britt Stewart – 10/20
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Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold – 10/20
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Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson – 9/20
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Andy Richter & Emma Slater – 9/20
Dancing with the Stars Season 34 airs Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available the following day on Hulu.
