Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and professional partner Alan Bersten were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night during Viral Hits Night, becoming the third couple sent home after performing a salsa with a broken toe.
The ballroom competition reached its third episode of season 35 as couples tackled routines inspired by internet trends and viral audio tracks, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While several pairs climbed to the top of the leaderboard with matching high scores, De Laurentiis and Bersten landed at the bottom alongside Guillermo Rodriguez and partner Witney Carson, each earning 12 points out of 30.
The ABC show kicked off Sept. 15 with a new group of celebrities hoping to follow in the footsteps of Season 34 champion Robert Irwin. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli are back at the judges’ table, with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returning as hosts for their fourth consecutive season. This year’s cast includes reality TV stars, actors, athletes, musicians and familiar faces from across the entertainment industry, including Summer House star Ciara Miller, 10 Things I Hate About You actor Julia Stiles, The Traitors’ Maura Higgins and singer Taylor Hanson. New episodes of Dancing With the Stars will air weekly live on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
A Salsa Routine Danced Through Injury
De Laurentiis took the ballroom floor despite sustaining a foot injury during rehearsals. Alan Bersten told Entertainment Weekly that the injury occurred when his knee accidentally landed on her left foot during a show-and-tell rehearsal.
“People don’t know that her toe’s broken. Her middle toe on her left foot,”
Alan Bersten, professional dance partner
She had danced through the injury during the season premiere, when the pair earned 16 out of 30 for their tango. For Viral Hits Night, the pair performed a salsa to Becky G’s Bella Ciao, earning four points from each of the judges for their total score of 12. Following the elimination, De Laurentiis reflected on the effort.
“I tried my best, and it wasn’t best enough, but I did try my best.”
Giada De Laurentiis, celebrity contestant
Record-Breaking Fan Engagement and Leaderboard Standouts
Before the elimination results were announced, host Alfonso Ribeiro told the studio audience that fan votes had already surpassed the total numbers recorded during the season 34 finale. The surge in voting accompanied a competitive leaderboard. The elimination came down to Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten, Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess, and Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy set an early standard by scoring 21 out of 30 for their jive to Katseye’s Animal. That top score was matched later in the evening by Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach following their cha-cha to Flo Rida’s Low, as well as Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov for their tango to All the Things She Said by Harrison, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Ciara and Brandon Armstrong trailed closely behind, scoring an 18/30 after they performed a Tango to “No Broke Boys” by Disco Lines and Tinashe. Tatyana and Jan Ravnik danced a Foxtrot to Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For?
Season 35 Elimination History
De Laurentiis joins a growing list of departures from the season, which launched with a special two-night premiere on September 15 and September 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. The opening week featured a double elimination that sent home reality star Conner Leavitt on the first night and influencer Sarah Jane Nader on the second night, according to The Big Lead.
| Week | Eliminated Contestant | Professional Partner | Dance Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | Giada De Laurentiis | Alan Bersten | Salsa |
| Week 1 (Night 2) | Sarah Jane Nader | Hailey Bills | Unspecified premiere style |
| Week 1 (Night 1) | Conner Leavitt | Adele Zaikman | Tango |
The competition continues next Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Worth a look