Conner Leavitt Reveals Why He's "Embarrassed" About DWTS Elimination
Whitney Leavitt Reacts to Husband Conner Leavitt’s Elimination from Dancing With the Stars
Conner Leavitt isn’t keeping his feelings about his Dancing With the Stars elimination a secret.
After the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and his pro partner Adele Zaikman were the first pair sent home on the show’s premiere Sept. 15, he detailed his short-lived experience on DWTS.
“Obviously, going home first was not how I wanted to end my Dancing With the Stars experience,” Conner—whose wife Whitney Leavitt made it to the semi-finals last season—shared in a Sept. 17 TikTok video. “But I can genuinely say I had an incredible time. I loved being out there. I loved learning something completely new.”
“I’m really proud of what we did,” he said of his “incredible” partner. “We worked hard. We put ourselves out there, and we left it all on the ballroom floor.”
But following the elimination, Conner shared he “felt something I haven’t really felt in a long time. I felt a little embarrassed.”
And while Conner and Adele—who joined season 35 after winning the DWTS spinoff The Next Pro—were voted off following their salsa dance to “Whoomp! There It Is,” he admitted that his unpleasant feelings weren’t related to their low scores or “criticisms” of their performance.
“I was embarrassed because I felt like people were throwing my past mistakes in my face,” Conner shared. “I felt like they used this opportunity to poke fun and make fun of my past.”
But he emphasized, “I don’t live there anymore. My eyes are forward.”
Conner didn’t share specifics about his past mistakes, but he has previously opened up about some hurdles he’s had to overcome. In fact, when the 32-year-old and Whitney first appeared on screen during the The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives series premiere in 2024, the couple—who share kids Sedona, 6, Liam, 4, and Billy, 22 months—discussed Conner’s struggles with porn addiction along with using Tinder during their marriage.
Ser Baffo/Disney via Getty Images
Although Whitney previously told E! that it was “the most traumatic thing” they faced in their marriage, they were ultimately able to come out “stronger in the end.”
Now, after two years, multiple seasons of Mormon Wives and a third baby later, the 33-year-old was cheering her husband on as he stepped out of his comfort zone to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
"Conner, I am so proud of you," Whitney wrote in a sweet Instagram tribute Sept 16. "I hope you never let this ending take away from what you just did. You stepped so far outside of your comfort zone, worked your ass off, put yourself out there, and went for it."
And after Conner and Adele—along with Sarah Jane Nader and her pro partner Hailey Bills—were eliminated on the two-night premiere of Dancing With the Stars, keep reading to see who else is still in the competition…
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
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