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‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 35 Premiere Recap: Who Went Home?
SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from night one of the Season 35 premiere of Dancing with the Stars.
Back like they never left! The ballroom at CBS Television City was once again glittering with celebrities on Tuesday night to kick off Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars.
There are 16 contestants vying for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy at the top of the season, and ABC opted for a two-night premiere that split the dances between Tuesday and Wednesday nights. On the first night, only the male celebrities performed. The ladies will take the floor on Wednesday night.
Unfortunately, things did not go over without a hitch. The party was interrupted by some tech issues, with voting going down online in the middle of the show. They threw out the ABC.com votes mid-premiere and relied solely on text votes, which have their own wrinkle this year since there’s two contestants who share the same name. Voters will need to specify Conner L. or Connor W. in their text votes, and they won’t count if they don’t, according to hosts Afonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. What could go wrong there?
While this week’s results might be questionable, the show must go on. Here’s how things shook out on night one.
Savannah Bananas midfielder Jackson Olson with Emma Slater. The baseball player kicked things off with a cha cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls — and it’s clear that Slater is reveling in being paired with a younger partner this season. In the package before the dance, she said it’s the first time she’s ever worked with a celeb in their 20s, and admits there were less “limitations” working with Olson.The energetic routine was a nice introduction to Olson, and the judges ate it up. “The ballroom is back!” judge Derek Hough said. “Jackson, my man, you are a natural born performer.” BUT! Hough also warned that the judges are going to be pretty tough with their scores this season, and Olson has plenty of room for improvement in the technique department. SCORE: 15 out of 30
Reality star Tyler Cameron with Sharna Burgess. The Bachelor alum was the first of many reality stars to take the dance floor over the next two days. He danced his assigned tango to TK. The former college football player says he did take some dance classes in college, but he’s got some brushing up to do. After a multi-year hiatus from the show, the Burgess pleased the judges with her first routine with Cameron. “Tyler, what’s going on here? I have to say, I’m very pleasantly surprised. I mean, look at him. He looks like a tank…you can move, man,” Bruno Tonioli complimented. SCORE: 17 out of 30
Reality star Conner Leavitt with Adele Zaikman. These two stepped onto the ballroom floor with something to prove Tuesday night, what with newcomer Zaikman as the winner of DWTS: The Next Pro and Leavitt married to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, who took the ballroom by storm last season and leveraged the exposure to launch a Broadway run on Chicago. They danced a salsa to “Whoop There It Is” by Tag Team, putting Zaikman in her element as a Latin expert and taking Leavitt straight out of his. Carrie Ann Inaba called the routine “a little chaotic,” but overall, the judges loved the enthusiasm. SCORE: 12 out of 30
Late-night sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez with Witney Carson. Season 34 champ Carson is back on the ballroom floor with a much different contestant this year. She’s guiding Jimmy Kimmel’s right-hand man Rodriguez thought the competition, and they started off with a cha cha. Carson, who is impressively competing pregnant this year, tried to disguise her partner’s lack of technique by leaning into Rodriguez’s charm, reminding why he’s spent decades at Kimmel’s side on late night. It only kind of worked. “Listen, was the technique there? No. Was the effort there? Absolutely,” Hough said. “We can’t be having heel leads in the cha cha.” Regardless, the audience clearly responded to Rodriguez’s “spicy” performance, chanting his name when he finished. There were even boos when the judges issued their (probably rightful) rating. SCORE: 10 out of 30
Paralympian Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach. Julianne Hough kind of botched his introduction, but Frech still made a great impression on his first night as his rehearsal package gave audiences a glimpse of what he’s working through this season as an above-the-knee amputee in the competition. He and Karagach had to make some accommodations to take on the tango, but boy, did they deliver. The judges loved it the fiery routine to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” and so did the crowd. “What really impressed me, you really looked like a leading man,” Tonioli said. SCORE: 20 out 30
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with Rylee Arnold. The second Connor of the night showcased his personality with a cha cha to “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw. Of the group, Wood has some of the least dance experience, so it appears Arnold may have her work cut out for her this season. But what he lacks in technique, he makes up for in his sincerity. On the bright side, Inaba says he didn’t give her “the ick” when he made a wrong move. A for effort! No comment on the person riding a bedazzled mechanical bull in the background for the entire number. SCORE: 16 out of 30
Musician Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart. The middle Hanson brother is back on stage after spending years “avoiding dancing.” He says he’s uncomfortable performing without an instrument in tow, but Stewart tells him to think of her as his new “safety blanket.” Having gone from avoiding all dancing to taking on the quickstep night one, Derek Hough assures him he should feel proud, despite the flaws. Tonioli agreed. Now, he needs to work on his frame. “Don’t tighten up,” Tonioli said. SCORE: 16 out of 30
Actor Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson. The Glee and Grey’s Anatomy actor closed out the night one with yet another cha cha. Johnson took advantage of Shum’s freestyle and hip-hop experience, though, and his prior performance chops on Glee to deliver a performance full of personality and charm.And, well, they absolutely saved the best for last. Those two lit up the ballroom floor with an “emergency disco” that had Tonioli in a fit. “The chemistry between you two is off the charts. Sharp as a scalpel,” he said. SCORE: 21 out of 30 (the highest score of the night!)
So, who goes home?
Sadly, after just one dance, Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman are sent packing. Well, they’ll be back in the ballroom at least once more for tomorrow’s ‘live afterparty’ with Season 34 winner Robert Irwin and whomever among the women is voted off on night two.
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movies
Jodie Whittaker To Star In ITV Drama ‘In Contempt’
EXCLUSIVE: Jodie Whittaker‘s next starring role will be a hotshot media lawyer in ITV drama In Contempt.
Ahead of her role in Hulu pilot Chicks and a part in the London-set Only Murders in the Building Season 6, Whittaker will star in the “high-stakes” legal drama as barrister Olivia Savareid.
The character’s top-drawer advocacy skills have built her a career defending people’s reputations and engaging in multi-million pound litigation to prevent their names from being destroyed on social media, but the series will see the tables turned on her.
Sherlock and Dracula maker Hartswood Films is producing in association with its parent, ITV Studios (ITVS), with the show airing in the UK on ITV and STV and on streamers ITVX and STV Player. ITVS has international distribution rights.
Steve Thompson (Sherlock) is the writer, with Sue Vertue and Steven Moffat the executive producers. Ed Bazalgette (The Last Kingdom) is the director and Lawrence Till (Douglas is Cancelled) the producer. ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, who commissioned the show is also overseeing production for the broadcaster.
In Contempt establishes Olivia’s challenging working relationship with veteran news director Greg Dalman, who edits a London daily newspaper prone to pushing the boundaries of what can be published. With a reputation for taking no prisoners, Greg has the capability of acting recklessly if he believes it’s in the public interest, and and as his legal counsel, Olivia, must summon all her skills and expertise to keep him out of libel court.
She is also the mother of 15-year-old daughter, but when an explosive situation erupts at work, she makes a crucial misjudgement and Olivia’s own reputation is suddenly on the line.
“There’s always been a voracious appetite for what happens behind the scenes before news stories are published,” said ITV’s Hill. “Steve has created a gripping and thought-provoking series and I’m thrilled Jodie Whittaker has agreed to play ‘hotshot’ lawyer Olivia Savereid. I have no doubt In Contempt will captivate our audience, as it’s a really timely story for ITV to be telling.”
Whittaker, known for leading Doctor Who and ITV drama Broadchurch, said of her role as Savareid. “This is an amazing character in a world I haven’t explored before. Steve Thompson’s writing is an absolute joy to work with and I’m so excited to be embarking on this adventure with such a brilliant creative team at Hartswood Films and ITV.”
Vertue said she had been seeking to work with Thompson again since BBC series Sherlock, but that “it was never the right time or the right idea” until now. “Then one day he sat down and said, “In the modern world, if you want to kill someone, you don’t use a gun – you destroy their reputation,’ and so began In Contempt.
“A whirlwind drama of cancellation, online poison and media law, where there’s less than 12 hours to stop a headline that could detonate someone’s life. This is the story of now, and this is the series for today. I’m delighted to be working with ITV again and to bring to screen Steve Thompson’s most explosive and personal drama yet.”
Thompson called the show “a signature piece for me”, adding: “It unpacks the challenging relationship between the media and the law – between the freedom of the press and people’s right to privacy. In a world where all of us are surfing the net, hungry for the latest gossip, this drama takes us behind the curtain and shows us the lawyers who are in the vanguard of that fight.”
In Contempt will begin filming in London in the fall with further casting coming closer to production commencing.
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movies
Disney Strikes K-Pop Deal With Kakako In Korea
Could Disney be about to unearth the next big K-pop hit?
Disney Korea has struck a deal with Kakao Entertainment to launch what they are calling a “K-culture fund” and is aiming to pursue around 10 projects over the medium to long term.
The pair will “collaborate on projects that bring together K-pop IP and Disney’s stories and characters,” they saiid, “aiming to take the K-IP ecosystem to the next level and create new opportunities on the global stage.”
Disney and Kakao stressed that the “K-culture fund” still needs to be ironed out, but they hope to do it. Neither company put a figure on the fund.
Disney is a major player in Korea, with hits including Moving, its first original show in the region. It streams a number of K-pop movies and docs including ones focused on giants like BTS.
Founded in 2021, Kakao Entertainment is an offshoot of Korean media giant Kakao, owning agencies, production companies and entertainment arms.
In coming together, Disney and Kakao are clearly looking at the runaway success of KPop Demon Hunters, made by Sony and shown to the world on Netflix. The animated musical about rival K-pop bands who live double lives as demon hunters was undoubtedly the biggest hit of last year and has had a major impact on K-culture.
“K-pop today has evolved into a global cultural phenomenon shaping trends across areas including fashion, beauty, and lifestyle,” a spokesperson for Kakao Entertainment said. “Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing K-pop artists and music together with Disney’s stories – which have been loved around the world for generations – and expanding them into new worlds. We expect this to offer global fans a special kind of joy and inspiration that they have never experienced before.”
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movies
Cate Blanchett To Attend Tokyo Film Fest With Displacement Film Fund
Cate Blanchett will attend this year’s Tokyo Film Festival with a series of short films supported by her Displacement Film Fund.
TIFF will screen five short works produced with support from the Displacement Film Fund, of which Japanese brand Uniqlo is a founding partner. Following the film screenings, there will be a Q&A session with director Mohammad Rasoulof, director Shahrbanoo Sadat (Super Afghan Gym), and Blanchett. The screenings will take place the same week that Blanchett is to be honored in Tokyo with the festival’s Praemium Imperiale Award.
“I am privileged to have the opportunity to share the inaugural short films supported through the Displacement Film Fund with audiences at Tokyo International Film Festival,” Blanchett said in a statement.
“In a world where conflict and persecution are driving displacement and division, cinematic storytelling has a vital role to play in connecting with the experiences of others. Being displaced shouldn’t mean filmmakers abandon their creativity; in fact, their stories may feel even more urgent.”
The 2026 Tokyo Film Festival will run from October 26 to November 4. Scroll down to see the short projects.
5 Short Films Supported by the Displacement Film Fund
Allies in Exile (40 min., United Kingdom/Syria)
Dir: Hasan Kattan
Two Syrian filmmakers with a past shaped by war document the trauma
of waiting for asylum, using friendship and storytelling to survive exile.
Rotation (12 min., Ukraine/Turkey)
Dir: Maryna Er Gorbach
“Rotation” is a therapeutic hypnosis ritual experienced by a young
Ukrainian woman who shifted from civilian life to military service.
Sense of Water (39 min., Iran/Germany)
Dir: Mohammad Rasoulof
In the chill of exile, an Iranian writer confronts a foreign language.
Super Afghan Gym (14 min., Germany)
Dir: Shahrbanoo Sadat
In a gym in downtown Kabul, a group of housewives gathers during the
only hour of the day reserved for women.
Whispers of a Burning Scent (28 min., Somalia/Austria/Germany)
Dir: Mo Harawe
A quiet wedding musician finds his private life exposed to public scrutiny
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