Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars made its big debut on Tuesday night, and because the WGA strike was finally resolved, we got to see all of the dancers out on the floor.
The competition was stiff — no, really, many of these dancers are still pretty stiff — but everyone was excited to compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
That was one of the first changes this season, in tribute to the late Len Goodman, the Mirrorball Trophy was renamed so that DWTS fans will forever remember the head judge following his death in April 2023.
Voting opened early, as Xochitl Gomez took the floor first to share how hard she worked leading up to the premiere night. She did a great job, and the judges gave her all 6s, totaling 18 out of 30 for the first dance of the season.
Charity Lawson impressed with her tango alongside pro partner Artem Chigvintsev. They danced to Rihanna’s Only Girl (In The World) and brought in the night’s highest score, with two 7s and an 8, totaling 22 out of 30.
Matt Walsh also hit the dance floor after previously putting a pause on his DWTS role due to the WGA strike, which tentatively reached a deal in the eleventh hour and will end just after midnight.
Here’s who went home on Dancing with the Stars on premiere night
While the judges’ scores play a huge part in who stays and who goes home on Dancing with the Stars, it also comes down to the viewers’ votes. In the past, that has caused controversy as some fans of the show worry that celebrities with big fanbases have an advantage, even when they aren’t necessarily better dancers.
On the Season 32 premiere, Mauricio and Emma were in the bottom two, along with Matt and Koko.
Ultimately, Matt Walsh and Koko Iwasaki ended their run on the very first night with a Cha-cha-cha to Poison by Bel Biv Devoe that just didn’t hit the mark.
Who to watch on Season 32 of DWTS
While we know who didn’t impress on the Season 32 premiere of Dancing with the Stars, a handful of celebrities left everything on the ballroom floor for their first dance.
Xochitl Gomez, the youngest competitor this season, had us marveling at her moves as she brought in a solid 18 out of 30 with her Cha-cha-cha.
Despite all the controversy heading into the season, Adrian Peterson also did a great job on his salsa alongside Britt Stewart.
Mira Sorvino earned heaps of praise from the judges, with Carrie Ann even calling out her incredible dancer legs after she and Gleb Savchenko danced a Cha-cha-cha to Prince’s Kiss.
Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC and streams live on Disney+.