Dancing With the Stars Season 32 Kickoff: Ariana Madix Embraces Scandalous Drama & First Pair Gets Eliminated!

The most awaited 32nd season of Dancing With the Stars has officially begun on ABC, following a tentative agreement with the Writers Guild of America earlier this week.

This season is particularly poignant as it’s the first since the passing of beloved head judge, Len Goodman. In a touching tribute, hosts Alfonso Ribiero and Julianne Hough revealed that this season’s coveted prize has been renamed the “Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy” in his memory.

One of the notable moments of the premiere was the introduction of Rylee Arnold, the younger sibling of Lindsay Arnold, who made her first appearance as a professional dancer. However, Arnold’s performance with partner Harry Jowsey didn’t quite hit the mark, according to the judges, landing them tied at the bottom of the scoreboard along with Tyson Beckford and Matt Walsh.

Standing out at the opposite end of the spectrum were ex-Bachelorette Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev, who dazzled the audience and judges alike with a score of 22, the evening’s highest. Their performance included the night’s lone 8. Close behind, with a commendable 21 points, was Jason Mraz paired with Danielle Karagh and Ariana Madix dancing with Pasha Pashkov.

Madix cleverly nodded to her “Vanderpump Rules” history, donning a gown reminiscent of her reunion dress and crafting a narrative of empowerment post-Scandoval controversy.

However, the opening night wasn’t without its departure. The first elimination saw Matt Walsh, paired with Koko Iwasaki, exiting the stage, with Mauricio Umansky also dangerously close to the chopping block.

You can see the scores of all the candidates below:

Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Cha cha
Song: “Peanut Butter Jelly” by Galantis
Score: 18/30

Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd

Dance: Foxtrot
Song: “It’s A Sunshine Day” by The Brady Bunch
Score: 16/30