{"id":140,"date":"2026-09-17T14:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=140"},"modified":"2026-09-17T14:02:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:02:00","slug":"dancing-with-the-stars-season-35-premiere-sends-home-a-surprise-contestant-and-viewers-are-not-happy-with-the-judges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=140","title":{"rendered":"‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 35 Premiere Sends Home a Surprise Contestant \u2014 and Viewers Are Not Happy with the Judges"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The second night of the “Dancing with the Stars” premiere ended with a painful early goodbye – but viewers were already questioning the judges before the results arrived.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Eight female celebrities entered the ballroom on September 16, 2026. By the end of the night, one couple was out, several scores were under fire, and a heartfelt tribute had given the premiere its most poignant moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Questions about the judges’ scores surfaced throughout the second night of the Season 35 premiere, as some viewers compared the women’s results with those from the previous night. | Source: Instagram\/dancingwiththestars<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Night two of the Season 35 premiere put the female celebrities in the spotlight after the male contestants competed one night earlier. The stakes were immediate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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According to ABC News<\/a>, judges’ scores and viewer votes would be combined to determine which couple advanced and which one became the second pairing eliminated from the season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 cast gathers in the ballroom during the two-night premiere. The second night shifted the focus to the female celebrities, with one elimination still to come. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Before that result arrived, however, viewers had plenty to say about the numbers appearing on the judges’ paddles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Numbers Started a Debate Before Anyone Went Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The judges \u2014 Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli \u2014 gave the eight female couples scores ranging from 12 to 21 out of 30, according to The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> (THR).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik finished at the bottom of the leaderboard with 12 points<\/strong>. Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills received 14, while Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong finished one point ahead of them with 15.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The female celebrities and their professional partners take the ballroom floor during the September 16 episode. Their scores ranged from 12 to 21 points before viewer votes were factored into the night’s result. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten earned 16 points<\/strong>. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, as well as Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa, each received 18<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy finished with 19 points<\/strong>. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas led the female field with 21<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The scores prompted criticism from viewers<\/strong> who believed the women were being judged more harshly than the male celebrities who had competed the previous night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The couples await the outcome on the second night of the Season 35 premiere. Before the elimination was revealed, some viewers were already questioning how the female contestants had been scored. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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On Instagram<\/a>, one netizen asked, “the scoring on the women is ridiculous. why are they getting judged so much harder than the men?????”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A second person called the judging unprecedented, writing, “i think this is the worst scoring i’ve ever seen in dancing with the stars history that was perfection…” <\/i>A commenter gave a brief assessment: “underscored my opinion.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One viewer was more emphatic, declaring, “BEST DANCE OF THE WEEK. CRIMINALLY UNDERSCORED.”<\/i> A separate response questioned the judges’ numbers directly: “The judges are being weird with the scores \ud83d\ude12.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills stand together as the results unfold during the second night of the Season 35 premiere. The pair entered the night with 14 points from the judges. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Criticism continued in a separate discussion<\/a>. One commenter wrote, “They’re scoring the girls more harshly.”<\/i> A viewer questioned the judging throughout the episode: “Questioning the scores all night! What’s going on fam?”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another person drew a direct comparison with night one’s results, writing, “Underscored! Her scores lower than some of the male stars is INSANE.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nader and Bills join host Alfonso Ribeiro in the ballroom during the September 16 episode. Their score placed them near the bottom of the leaderboard before viewer votes were combined with the judges’ results. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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One more commenter called for consistency in the scoring: “UNDERSCORED SO BADLY BE FAIR WITH SCORING.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Results Turned One Low Score Into an Early Exit<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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When the results were announced, Nader and Bills were eliminated after their jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The two early exits drew reactions online<\/a>. One netizen wrote, “There’s no way they shouldve been eliminated first. How did every1 fight 4 hailey to be a pro and then not vote 4 them? So disappointed. They shouldve stayed like 2 more weeks [sic].”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hailey Bills and Sarah Jane Nader perform their jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” during their Season 35 debut. The routine received 14 out of 30 points from the judges. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A commenter questioned both eliminations, “Anyone else getting weird vibes that both the newest pros got eliminated? Both dances weren’t bad and it’s also first night.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One person reacted directly to Nader and Bills’ departure: “yeah so i’ll never forgive whoever is responsible for you guys not advancing.” <\/i>A separate response was blunt: “THEY WERE ROBBED.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nader and Bills perform together during the second night of the “Dancing with the Stars” premiere. Their first routine would also become their final dance in the competition after they were eliminated later that night. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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One viewer argued that the pair deserved more time in the competition, “Its a crime they got eliminated, they actually did so good. Better than some of the other contestants IMO [sic].”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Not every reaction opposed the elimination. One commenter wrote, “I felt bad for Hailey, but I think this was the right choice… \ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffd\u200d\u2640\ufe0f” <\/i>The debate over the judges’ scores extended beyond the eliminated pair.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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