Dancing With the Stars Season 34: First Eliminations Spark Outrage During “One-Hit Wonders Night”
Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars wasted no time raising the intensity. “One-Hit Wonders Night” delivered flashy routines, emotional highs, and the first major heartbreak of the season. By the end of the episode, two celebrity contestants had been sent home — and the results left viewers both shocked and furious, igniting heated debate across social media.
The First Cuts: A Double Elimination
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli combined audience votes from the first two weeks with their own scores to decide who stayed in the running for the mirrorball trophy. The outcome? A double elimination.
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Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson scored 15/30 for their Cha Cha to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”
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Baron Davis & Britt Stewart earned 18/30 for their Samba to Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack.”
Both pairs were officially eliminated, ending their journey before it had truly begun.
But the bigger storm brewed around someone who didn’t go home.
The Hilaria Baldwin Controversy
Hilaria Baldwin and her partner Gleb Savchenko danced a Tango to Haddaway’s “What Is Love,” earning 21/30 — enough to narrowly avoid elimination. Many fans weren’t happy.
Twitter and Instagram quickly lit up:
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“Corey and Baron deserved to stay more than her. I’m done watching this season.”
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“Baron deserved better. Send her home.”
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“It’s unfair. She’s had ballroom training before. She shouldn’t even be eligible.”
Others, however, came to Baldwin’s defense:
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“Best dance of the night. Should’ve scored higher.”
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“Say what you want, but she had the strongest routine.”
Love her or hate her, Baldwin managed to survive — at least for now.
The Leaderboard: Who’s Shining, Who’s Struggling
At the top, four couples tied with 22 points each:
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Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik (Quickstep)
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Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa (Jive)
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Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas (Cha Cha)
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Robert Irwin & Witney Carson (Tango)
On the other end, Andy Richter and Emma Slater narrowly avoided elimination with a score of 16. Despite Baldwin’s 21, she still landed in the bottom three after combining scores and votes — but ultimately advanced.
Emotional Farewells
Corey Feldman admitted disappointment, especially for his partner:
“Jenna is amazing. She deserves to be champion every year. I feel awful that I let her down.”
Baron Davis was more reflective:
“I haven’t been coached in a long time. To get back out there and move again was awesome. I wanted to win this for Britt.”
Both men left the ballroom with gratitude, even if fans weren’t ready to see them go.
Robert Irwin Becomes the Breakout Star
While eliminations dominated headlines, Robert Irwin stole the spotlight with his safari-themed Jive to Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.” Leaping from the hood of a Land Rover into a whirlwind of flips and kicks, the wildlife conservationist had the ballroom on its feet.
Judge Derek Hough — who danced with Robert’s sister Bindi in Season 21 — praised him:
“That was one of the best first dances I’ve ever seen.”
Fans agreed:
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“Robert was hands down the best performance of the night.”
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“He’s dancing like a pro!”
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“My money’s on Robert and Witney.”
With no prior dance training, Irwin has already established himself as a frontrunner.
Feldman’s Tough Night
In contrast, Feldman’s earlier Tango to Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock & Roll to Me” drew harsh criticism. Online comments ranged from “painful to watch” to “no rhythm at all.” Many predicted his early exit — and unfortunately, they were right.
Final Thoughts
Week one of eliminations brought drama, tears, and plenty of controversy. Fans remain divided over who deserves to be in the competition, especially with Baldwin’s survival. But one thing is certain: Dancing With the Stars Season 34 is already delivering the unexpected, and the battle for the mirrorball trophy has only just begun.