ENTERTAINMENT

DWTS Season 35 Premiere Hit by Voting Glitch and First Elimination

PUBLISHED Sep 16, 2026, 2:09 AM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 27

Left 11%

Center 85%

Right 4%

Sources: 27

Season 35 of the reality television competition series Dancing with the Stars encountered severe technical difficulties during its live broadcast on ABC on September 15, 2026. The primary online voting system hosted on the network website malfunctioned completely, preventing millions of viewers from casting digital ballots. Experienced hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough announced live on air that text messaging would serve as the sole active voting method for the evening, rendering all online votes submitted during the premiere invalid for the final score tally. Despite this major disruption, male celebrity contestants performed their scheduled routines. At the conclusion of the broadcast episode, internet personality Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman were eliminated from the competition following combined judges' scores and viewer text votes. The special two-night season premiere television event continues tonight with female celebrity competition debuts and another scheduled elimination round across the country broadcast network channels.

By Neha R. | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

On September 10, 2026, ABC announced official celebrity cast lineup for the new season.
On September 15, 2026, ABC broadcast season thirty five premiere live episode across networks.
On September 15, 2026, online voting systems experienced unexpected technical glitches during broadcast tonight.
On September 15, 2026, hosts announced text messaging as valid voting method for viewers.
On September 15, 2026, male celebrity contestants performed routines on the live stage tonight.
On September 15, 2026, judges scored performances by competing male celebrity dance pairs live.
On September 15, 2026, Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman faced first elimination from show.
On September 16, 2026, media outlets reported technical voting failures across digital news platforms.
On September 16, 2026, second night featured female celebrity contestants performing their routine dances.
On September 16, 2026, producers prepared for second elimination round scheduled later this week.
Expectations indicate future episodes will resolve platform stability issues for digital voting.
Producers anticipate heightened scrutiny regarding online voting infrastructure for upcoming live broadcasts.

News Intelligence

Immediate US impact: Viewers experienced voting disruptions during a major television broadcast event.
Possible long-term US impact: Network broadcasters will upgrade digital infrastructure to prevent future failures.
Most affected groups: Television fans and reality competition viewers across the United States.
Reader Priorities: Viewers should monitor official network announcements regarding upcoming voting platform fixes.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 27
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 3
Neutral:: 23

Explain Framing

Left: Focuses on technical infrastructure failures and consumer voting rights issues. Center: Reports factual timelines of broadcast errors and official elimination results. Right: Emphasizes entertainment industry disruptions and reality television production corporate challenges.