Conner Leavitt admitted he feels “embarrassed” about being eliminated first from Dancing With the Stars — but not for the obvious reasons.
“I am packing to go back home. I cannot wait to see my family, but before I head to the airport, I thought I would talk a little bit about my Dancing With the Stars experience,” the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 32, began in a TikTok video shared Thursday, September 17. “Now, obviously, going home first was not how I wanted to end my Dancing With the Stars experience. But I can genuinely say I had an incredible time. I loved being out there. I loved learning something completely new.”
Leavitt went on to praise DWTS: The Next Pro winner Adele Zaikman for being an “incredible partner” and helping guide him throughout the journey.
During the season 35 premiere on Tuesday, September 15, Leavitt and Zaikman performed a spicy salsa to “Whoomp! (There It Is)” by Tag Team, but the routine left the judges — and fans — underwhelmed. They earned 12 out of 30 points and were ultimately sent home.
@conner.leavitt Don’t be afraid to take a big swing when an opportunity comes your way!!
♬ original sound – Conner Leavitt
“After the elimination, I felt something I haven’t really felt in a long time. I felt a little embarrassed,” Leavitt continued in his TikTok. “I mean, going home first in and of itself is a little embarrassing. But that’s not really why I was embarrassed.”
He explained, “I wasn’t embarrassed because of the judge’s score. I wasn’t embarrassed by the criticisms. I wasn’t even embarrassed that some people didn’t like the dance. I was embarrassed because I felt like people were throwing my past mistakes in my face. I felt like they used this opportunity to poke fun and make fun of my past. But I don’t live there anymore. My eyes are forward.”
Fans were introduced to Conner and his wife, Whitney Leavitt, when The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered in 2024. In the debut episode, Whitney, 33, confronted her husband about rumors that he was active on the dating app Tinder. Conner had claimed that he wasn’t looking for physical connections with other women, but instead wanted emotional validation.
The couple worked through their hard time and are still happily married, welcoming their third child in 2024. Before his own DWTS journey, Conner supported Whitney when she competed with Mark Ballas on season 34 last year.
Reflecting on his early elimination, Conner said on Thursday that he was “grateful” to have Whitney in the audience.
“I may be going home first, but I am going home with an incredible experience,” he continued. “I’m going home with lessons learned. I’m going home less afraid to try new things in front of people, which I am so grateful for.”
Conner and Zaikman weren’t the only couple to say a quick goodbye to the ballroom. Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills were sent home during the Wednesday, September 16, episode.
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
