When Mark Ballas first saw his new partner Whitney Leavitt glide onto the stage on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, the buzz about a possible double elimination was already swirling. The episode aired on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, and instantly set a new benchmark for how judges’ scores and audience votes collide.
How the Scoring System Works
Every week, each couple receives a numeric score from the three judges—Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli—and these points are added together. Simultaneously, viewers at home cast votes via the official app, the website, or text. The magic happens when the two tallies are each weighted at 50 % to produce a combined total. The pair with the lowest combined figure bows out, unless an unforeseen circumstance forces a rule tweak.
Because the weighting is equal, a couple that scores a perfect 30 from the judges can still be saved by a flood of fan votes, while a technically flawless routine can vanish if the audience doesn’t rally. This dual‑scoring model was first introduced in Season 2 and has persisted, becoming the hallmark of the show’s drama.
The Double Elimination of September 23, 2025
Week 1 ran a little differently: no couple left the competition on the September 16 premiere, a decision made by producers to give viewers extra time to learn the new faces. When the September 23 episode aired, the show announced a double elimination. Here’s the twist: votes from both the premiere night and the second‑week episode were merged, then weighed against the judges’ scores from both weeks. The math meant that the two couples with the combined lowest totals—Hilaria Baldwin (paired with Gleb Savchenko) and Scott Hoying (paired with Rylee Arnold)—both said goodbye on the same episode.
"We wanted to keep the competition fair," host Tom Bergeron explained live. "Merging the first two weeks' votes respects the fans who voted early while still rewarding the judges’ critiques." The move sparked a flurry of social‑media chatter, with some fans calling it a bold clutch, others deeming it a confusing gimmick.
Key Contestants and Their Journeys
Among the 14 celebrity hopefuls, three stories have already dominated the headlines. Whitney Leavitt, known from the series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” arrived as a lifelong dancer and TikTok star. Paired with Mark Ballas, she consistently landed in the middle of the leaderboard, earning praise for her artistry but never quite the audience’s top vote.
Scott Hoying, a baritone from the Grammy‑winning a‑cappella group Pentatonix, was eliminated in week 6, placing tenth overall. His partnership with professional Rylee Arnold was lauded for vocal‑rhythm sync, yet the fan base didn’t translate into enough votes to save him during the double‑elimination week.
Hilaria Baldwin, a yoga influencer and star of “The Baldwins,” was the first couple sent home when the double elimination took effect, finishing eleventh. Her chemistry with Gleb Savchenko earned a few judges’ high marks but fell short in the audience poll.
These three examples illustrate the delicate balance the show strikes: technique alone won’t guarantee survival, and fan engagement can tip the scales dramatically.
Past Withdrawals that Shaped the Rules
The double‑elimination format isn’t the first deviation from the norm. In Season 28, Christie Brinkley withdrew after a rehearsal arm injury and was replaced last‑minute by her daughter Sailor Brinkley. The producers kept the elimination schedule intact, but the incident prompted a tighter medical‑clearance protocol.
Season 29 saw Jeannie Mai pulled from competition when she was hospitalized for epiglottitis. The planned double elimination for that week was scrapped, and only one couple—Chrishell Stause and Gleb Savchenko—left the floor.
Then, in Season 31, Selma Blair, who was battling multiple sclerosis, earned the week’s first perfect score before electing to withdraw days later. That rare coincidence of a perfect score and an immediate exit forced producers to state publicly that a perfect score doesn’t guarantee continued participation if health concerns arise.
Each of these moments nudged the show to codify contingency plans, which now include “no‑elimination weeks,” “double‑elimination swaps,” and a clear medical‑withdrawal policy.
What This Means for the Rest of the Season
With the double elimination already behind it, the competition returns to the standard 50/50 model. Viewers can expect weekly suspense as judges hand out scores ranging from 15 to 30, while fan votes can swing the pendulum by as much as 20 percent, according to a recent analysis from TV‑ratings firm Nielsen.
Industry analyst Maya Hernandez notes, "The early double elimination raises the stakes for later weeks. Couples now have less room for error, and the fan base feels a heightened responsibility to support their favorites." She adds that advertisers are watching closely, as the boosted engagement often translates into higher ad‑spot premiums for the Tuesday 8 p.m. slot.
Season 34 will run through November 25, 2025, with a total of nine more elimination nights. If no further medical withdrawals or production hiccups occur, the final showdown will feature the remaining two couples battling for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Key Facts
- Premiere date: September 16, 2025.
- Double elimination aired: September 23, 2025, combining votes from weeks 1 and 2.
- Scoring split: 50 % judges, 50 % audience.
- Notable early exits: Hilaria Baldwin (week 2), Scott Hoying (week 6).
- Season concludes: November 25, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was there a double elimination in week 2?
Producers chose to merge the premiere’s audience votes with week 2’s tally because no couple was eliminated on September 16. This ensured that early voters still counted, while keeping the competition on schedule.
How are judges’ scores combined with fan votes?
Each couple’s total judge points are converted to a percentage of the maximum possible score (30 points). Fan votes are similarly normalized to a percentage. The two percentages are then added together, and the couple with the lowest combined figure leaves the show.
What happens if a contestant withdraws for medical reasons?
The show follows a medical‑withdrawal protocol: the contestant is escorted off‑stage, a statement is issued, and the scheduled elimination may be cancelled or adjusted, as seen in Seasons 28, 29, and 31.
Who are the current front‑runners for the Mirrorball Trophy?
As of week 6, the leaderboard is led by the pair of Mark Ballas and Whitney Leavitt, who have consistently earned high judge scores and a strong fan following, positioning them as strong contenders for the title.
When does the season finale air?
The final episode, featuring the last two couples, is scheduled for Sunday, November 25, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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