Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten became the third couple eliminated from Dancing With the Stars Season 35 on Tuesday. The celebrity chef departed the ABC competition following a salsa routine performed with a broken toe.
Viral Hits Night Leads to a Tough Elimination
Dancing With the Stars paid homage to the hottest songs for Viral Hits Night. Tuesday night, competing couples hit the ballroom to perform numbers inspired by some of the biggest viral hits and unforgettable moments that have taken the internet by storm,
per ABC. It marks the third episode of season 35; however the second week of competition after last week’s special two-night premiere. But for Giada De Laurentiis and partner Alan Bersten, the evening brought a swift end to their run on the show. The pair delivered a salsa to Becky G’s “Bella Ciao” that earned four points from each judge, resulting in a total score of 12 out of 30.
That score tied them at the bottom of the leaderboard alongside Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, who also pulled a 12 out of 30. The couple with the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewer votes is eliminated at the end of each DWTS episode. When the combined totals were tallied, De Laurentiis and Bersten found themselves sent home.
I tried my best, and it wasn't best enough, but I did try my best.
Giada De Laurentiis, contestant
Dancing Through a Foot Injury in Rehearsals
The chef faced an uphill battle throughout the week after sustaining a painful injury before stepping onto the floor. De Laurentiis began the night with a broken toe, an injury she previously revealed happened when Bersten accidentally landed on her foot during rehearsals. Despite the setback, she pushed through the injury during the season premiere, when the pair earned 16 out of 30 for their tango.
Alan Bersten shed light on how the accident happened during rehearsals, telling Entertainment Weekly: “People don’t know that her toe’s broken. Her middle toe on her left foot. We were doing a show and tell for the first time in front of people, and we got a little excited. You know how we finished down on the knee? My knee landed on her foot.”
Leaderboard Standouts and Fan Voting Records
While the bottom of the leaderboard saw fierce struggle, the top featured a tie for dominance. Jenna and Val Chmerkovskiy kicked off Viral Hits Night, cementing the early lead of 21/30 for their Jive to Katseye’s “Animal.” Ezra and Daniella Karagach went on to tie Jenna and Val’s score, earning three sevens from the judges after they performed a Cha Cha to Flo Rida’s “Low,” leaving the ballroom on their feet in applause. Amber and Pasha Pashkov also emerged to tie the top leaderboard score (21/30) for their Tango to All the Things She Said
by Harrison, an homage to Heated Rivalry, of course. That meant Jenna, Ezra and Amber tied for the top of the leaderboard; Maura trailed with a 19/30.
The enthusiasm at home matched the intensity on the dance floor. After Tatyana and Jan Ravnik danced a Foxtrot to Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For?,
host Alfonso Ribeiro announced that Viral Hits Night had already received more fan votes than both premieres. However, just before the eliminated couple was announced, Alfonso announced that the number of votes triumphed over that of the season 34 DWTS finale.
The Season 35 Elimination Roster So Far
The competition has moved quickly since 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. Three contestants have already exited the ballroom across the opening weeks.
Week 2: Giada De Laurentiis, chef (eliminated alongside partner Alan Bersten)
Week 1: Sarah Jane Nader, influencer
Week 1: Conner Leavitt, reality TV star
Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m., simulcasting across ABC and Disney+, and streaming the next day on Hulu for viewers following the remaining celebrities’ bids for the mirror ball trophy.
