DWTS Season 35 Week 2: Giada De Laurentiis Eliminated as Three Couples Tie for Lead

Key points

• Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten were the third couple eliminated from Season 35, scoring 12/30 on a salsa to 'Bella Ciao.'
• Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov tied for the highest score at 21/30.
• Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson also scored 12/30 on a paso doble to 'Where Have You Been,' placing them at the bottom of the leaderboard.
• Host Alfonso Ribeiro noted that fan votes for 'Viral Hits Night' exceeded the combined totals of both premiere nights.
• The next episode, 'Yacht Rock Night,' will feature the 13 remaining couples and air Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.

Background

Season 35 of DWTS began with a two-night premiere, eliminating Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader. The field narrowed to 14 couples for Week 2, which featured a 'Viral Hits Night' theme. Previous coverage noted that the premiere included a Ladies' Night segment where female celebrities danced to No. 1 hits from their birth year.

How outlets are covering it

Page Six provided behind-the-scenes access to the live taping, highlighting Ciara Miller's tango to 'No Broke Boys' and Maura Higgins's nervous pre-performance moments. The Hollywood Reporter and ABC7 Los Angeles focused on the official scores and elimination results, confirming the three-way tie at the top and Giada's elimination. All three outlets agreed on the final scores and the elimination outcome, but Page Six emphasized the live audience reaction and backstage interactions, while the other two focused on the judges' critiques and the voting surge.

Why it matters

The elimination of Giada De Laurentiis marks the third departure from Season 35, narrowing the field to 13 couples. The three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard sets up a competitive race for the next episode, 'Yacht Rock Night.' The surge in fan votes indicates growing audience engagement with the season, which could influence future eliminations and the overall trajectory of the competition.

What to watch

The 13 remaining couples will compete in 'Yacht Rock Night' next Tuesday. Future episodes will include a tribute to Mariah Carey, a Grammy-themed night, and a 'Horror Movie Night.' The competition will continue to narrow as couples are eliminated based on combined judges' scores and viewer votes.