‘DWTS’: Mark Ballas Had ‘Gut Feeling’ About His & Whitney Leavitt’s Shocking Elimination
What To Know
- Mark Ballas and Whitney Leavitt sensed their Dancing With the Stars elimination was coming, despite earning near-perfect scores and tying for second place on the leaderboard.
- The pair expressed gratitude for their experience and friendships on the show, with Leavitt saying the journey changed her life.
- Leavitt’s elimination sparked mixed fan reactions, partly due to her admission on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives that she returned to reality TV primarily for a chance to compete on DWTS.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas‘ Dancing With the Stars elimination didn’t take the couple by complete surprise.
“Every week she’s like, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna make it.’ I’m like, ‘You’re gonna make it. You’re gonna make it. It’s gonna be okay,” Ballas shared in an interview with Good Morning America after the show’s Prince Night episode on Tuesday, November 18. “But I think today, we both had a — I don’t know. Sometimes you just get gut feelings, you know?”
Leavitt agreed, adding, “Yeah, we felt it.”
The pair are taking their elimination in stride, and are rooting for the remaining couples heading into next week’s Season 34 finale. “I was really proud of both dances tonight, and we’ve had a great time and had some really fun moments on this show. And that’s what it’s all about,” Ballas shared. “And yes, it sucks to fall at the last hurdle, but you have a stacked finale. Great couples. It’s gonna be an amazing show next week. And I made a friend for life. It’s not the end, you know? But this happens sometimes. It’s okay.”
Leavitt, for her part, joked that Ballas isn’t “getting rid” of her anytime soon, and said she’s grateful for the friendships she’s made during her DWTS journey.
@gma @Whitney Leavitt & @Mark Ballas are saying goodbye to the @Dancing with the Stars #DWTS ballroom just one week shy of the finale 🪩 #dancingwiththestars #whitneyleavitt #markballas ♬ original sound – Good Morning America
Leavitt and Ballas earned near-perfect scores for their cha-cha-cha to “1999” and Viennese waltz to “Slow Love,” ending Tuesday night’s episode with a total score of 58/60 points. Despite tying with Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy for second place on the leaderboard, Leavitt and Ballas were sent home in one of the most shocking eliminations of the season.
“I already feel like a winner. This show has meant the absolute world for me,” Leavitt told cohosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough after the elimination. “It’s changed my life, and I will forever be so grateful for the friendships I’ve made. To have this experience, thank you so, so much!”
Leavitt reiterated her feelings in her and Ballas’ GMA interview, sharing, “It was worth it. I meant what I said tonight. It’s gonna sound cheesy, but I truly feel like it’s changed my life, and I will forever be so grateful for that. I mean, I’m gonna be honest. I didn’t even think I was gonna make it this far.”
Leavitt’s elimination, however, was preluded by some controversy. On Season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which premiered on Thursday, November 13, Leavitt admitted she only returned to the Hulu reality series for the chance to compete on DWTS. “That’s a motivator. I’ll come back for that,” she confessed on the show. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Dancing With the Stars.”
Leavitt’s comments — and her and Ballas’ elimination — sparked mixed reactions from fans. “Whitney admitting that she only rejoined slomw to get on dwts. get this girl outta my ballroom,” one X user wrote, while another added, “WE SENT WHITNEY LEAVITT HOME I REPEAT. I NO LONGER HAVE TO SEE WHITNEYS FACE EVERY WEEK.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
Sharing a different opinion, another person tweeted, “Nobody on this cast can compare with whitney’s stage presence, facial expressions, and animations like my god she is incredible.” Someone else shared, “I have no words. just no words. i have not been this angry since Chandler Kinney made third place. this show has become a hate train and popularity contest. i’m so disgusted. Whitney Leavitt, what you and Mark Ballas have done was nothing short of incredible. i’m so upset.”
Dancing With the Stars, Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+ (Streaming Next Day on Hulu)
For a more extended celebration of two decades of Dancing With the Stars, from exclusive interviews to retrospectives and must-see photos, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars 20th Anniversary special issue, available for purchase online at DWTS.TVGM2025.com and on newsstands now.
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