Derek Hough Says Robert Irwin Gave “Best First Dance” in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ History During Season 34 Premiere

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Dancing with the Stars is back in the ballroom!

The ABC dance competition kicked off its 34th season on Tuesday night, signifying 20 years on air. Celebrity contestants ranging from reality stars to Hollywood legends hit the stage where they were tasked to dance to their self-proclaimed anthems.

The slate of celebrity contestants includes Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck , author/influencer (and wife to Alec Baldwin) Hilaria Baldwin, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, retired NBA star Baron Davis, social media personality Alix Earle, The Traitors season three winner Dylan Efron and actor/musician Corey Feldman.

Also rounding out the cast are Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel, The Parent Trap and Freakier Friday actress Elaine Hendrix, Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying, conservationist (and son to Steve Irwin) Robert Irwin, Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui, fellow Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and comedian/actor Andy Richter. 

In a turn of events, Carrie Ann Inaba missed the show due to an illness. No guest judge stepped in to fill Inaba’s shoes, leaving only Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough on the judges panel. Contestants were scored out of 20 points, instead of the traditional 30 with three main judges. 

Leavitt and Irwin walked away from the night with the highest scores, both earning a 15/20, respectively. Notably, Tonioli held up a “seven” paddle when scoring the reality TV star, but actually inputed an eight into the show’s system, so she was awarded a 15 as her overall score. In the audience, the full cast of Mormon Wives was in attendance to cheer Affleck and Leavitt on.

Later in the night, competitors revealed their triumphs to make it to DWTS, with Fishel reflecting on beating cancer, Feldman noting he was competing with scoliosis and Baldwin making her return to dance after a hip injury. When asked why Richter wanted to take part in the show, he joked that it was for the “paycheck” that comes along with competing on the reality show.

However, the standout moment of the night likely arrived after Irwin delivered the final performance and judge Hough proclaimed that he gave “the best first dance I’ve ever seen on the show.” Irwin is competing on the show 10 years after his elder sister, Bindi Irwin, competed and won with Hough during season 21.

In tune with past seasons, no one was eliminated during the premiere. However, it was revealed that during next Tuesday’s show, two couples will be voted off in a double elimination.

Returning professional dancers include Gleb Savchenko, Ezra Sosa, Britt Stewart, Val Chmerkovskiy, Daniella Karagach, Jenna Johnson, Pasha Pashkov, Alan Bersten, Rylee Arnold, Witney Carson, Brandon Armstrong, Mark Ballas and Emma Slater, alongside newcomer and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dancer Jan Ravnik.  Former celebrity contestant and champion Alfonso Ribeiro and previous professional dancer Julianne Hough returned as co-hosts. 

See the full list of scores for the season 34 premiere of DWTS below.

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 10/20
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 10/20
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 12/20
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 15/20
Baron Davis and Britt Stewart: 10/20
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 13/20
Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold: 10/20
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: 12/20
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik: 12/20
Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson: 9/20
Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong: 13/20
Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 9/20
Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko: 14/20
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 15/20

Season 34 of DWTS will air and stream simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays, with new episodes available to stream on Wednesdays on Hulu.