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Whitney Leavitt Reacts to Husband Conner Leavitt’s Elimination from Dancing With the Stars
The dance floor just got a little less crowded.
Dancing With the Stars contestant Giada De Laurentiis was knocked out of the season 35 competition after ranking the lowest alongside ballroom pro Alan Bersten during week two.
In the Sept. 22 episode, the chef danced a tango to “Venus” by Shocking Blue, bringing the evening's "Viral Hits Night" theme to life.
But judge Bruno Tonioli called it a “salsa without spice” and told De Laurentiis she needed to “go for it” like “jumping off a cliff.” Meanwhile, judge Carrie Ann Inaba summed up the performance with one word: "Shaky."
After the judges revealed their scores of 12 out of 30, De Laurentiis noted, "It's disappointing, but hopefully people will vote for us, and I'll get another shot."
"I think I tend to go faster, and I need to learn to slow down," the 56-year-old explained. "That's my lesson to be learned."
After the elimination, she noted, "I tried my best, and it wasn't best enough, but I did try my best."
And the elimination marked the third star to lose their spot in line for the Mirrorball following the ABC hit's two-night premiere, beginning Sept. 15. Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Conner Leavitt was the first celebrity sent home after a salsa with pro Adele Zaikman didn't bring enough heat to the judges' table opening night.
"Obviously, going home first was not how I wanted to end my Dancing With the Stars experience," Conner, husband of DWTS semi-finalist Whitney Leavitt, explained on TikTok Sept. 17. "But I can genuinely say I had an incredible time. I loved being out there. I loved learning something completely new."
Following his departure, Conner's fellow Hulu realityverse member Sarah Jane Nader was eliminated on night two. The Love Thy Nader personality was partnered with pro Hailey Bills, together becoming the show's third same-sex pairing. (JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson, who placed second on season 30, were the first.)
Disney/Eric McCandless
As such, the 24-year-old was proud of how her DWTS run honored her community as a bisexual woman, despite ending sooner than older sister Brooks Nader's ascent to ninth place with her now-ex Gleb Savchenko in 2024.
"As sad as we are to not dance next week—we were so excited—we're just grateful we had this opportunity," Sarah Jane told Good Morning America after the results. "Our partnership was so special. Not only because we became best friends, but because we represent a whole community."
Disney/Eric McCandless
But the 2026 competition is still anyone's game. Read on to see all of the stars still waltzing in for the win.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
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