The Shocking Truth: Who Was Eliminated Last Week On DWTS Season 34 And Why Their High Score Wasn’t Enough

The most recent elimination on Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) Season 34 sent shockwaves through the ballroom, proving that high scores from the judges are no guarantee of safety. As of today, December 11, 2025, the final couple to be sent home before the Grand Finale was the highly-rated duo of reality star Whitney Leavitt and professional dancer Mark Ballas, a truly unexpected result that has sparked intense debate among fans and critics alike. Their elimination during the emotional Semi-Finals on November 18, 2025, remains one of the season's biggest upsets, especially considering their near-perfect performance scores.

The semi-finals, themed "Prince Night," saw six couples competing for a spot in the final four, and Leavitt and Ballas were eliminated based on a combination of judges' scores and audience votes. This deep dive explores the specifics of their final night, the scores they earned, and the underlying reasons why a couple with such technical skill ultimately fell short of the Mirrorball Trophy.

Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: The Semi-Final Elimination Profile

The final couple to be eliminated from Dancing with the Stars Season 34 before the finale was Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas. Their journey was marked by consistent improvement and a strong connection that made their exit all the more surprising. Here is a comprehensive profile of the eliminated duo and their final performance details:

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• Celebrity: Whitney Leavitt
• Professional Partner: Mark Ballas
• Elimination Date: November 18, 2025 (DWTS Season 34 Semi-Finals, Week 10)
• Theme: Prince Night
• Final Dances: Viennese Waltz and a Redemption Dance (Cha-Cha)
• Total Semi-Final Score: 58 out of a possible 60 points
• Final Placement: 5th Place (Eliminated just before the finale)
• Celebrity Background: Reality television personality and digital creator, best known as a breakout cast member on the Hulu reality series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
• Professional Partner Background: Two-time Mirrorball Champion, Mark Ballas, who returned to the show for Season 34 after a two-year hiatus.

The Unbelievable Scores That Led to a Shocking Exit

The elimination of Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas was particularly stunning because it was a clear case of audience votes overriding the near-unanimous praise of the judges. On "Prince Night," the couple delivered two exceptional routines that placed them among the top-scoring couples of the evening.

For their first routine, a beautiful Viennese Waltz set to a classic Prince track, the couple earned a remarkable 29 out of 30 points. Judge Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli were effusive in their praise for the technical precision and emotional depth of the performance. Their second dance, a redemption round Cha-Cha, also garnered high marks, contributing to their impressive total of 58/60. This score placed them third overall in the semi-finals leaderboard, only behind Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, and Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy.

Despite this near-perfect showing, the couple found themselves in the bottom two alongside another high-scoring pair, ultimately being eliminated. This outcome immediately ignited a firestorm on social media, with many fans calling the decision a major upset and questioning the fairness of the voting process.

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The 3 Key Reasons Why Whitney Leavitt Was Eliminated

The departure of Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas serves as a powerful reminder of the dual nature of the DWTS competition, where technical skill is only half the battle. Their elimination, despite a 58/60 score, can be attributed to a confluence of factors that highlight the importance of the celebrity's public profile and the crucial audience vote.

1. The "MomTok" and Reality TV Factor

Whitney Leavitt’s primary claim to fame is her role on the Hulu reality series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and her prior status as a prominent figure in the "MomTok" community. While she has a dedicated following, it is a niche audience compared to the broader, mainstream appeal of other contestants. DWTS is a popularity contest at its core, and celebrities with wider, more established fan bases—like Olympic gymnasts (Jordan Chiles), wildlife conservationists (Robert Irwin), or major social media influencers (Alix Earle)—often have a structural advantage in securing mass votes. Leavitt's following, while passionate, may not have had the sheer volume needed to compete with the voting power of the other finalists. This lack of broad name recognition outside of her specific reality TV sphere was a major hurdle.

2. The "Shocking" Elimination Strategy

The nature of the elimination itself points to a common DWTS phenomenon: complacency among voters. When a couple consistently receives high scores from the judges (like the 58/60 on Prince Night), their dedicated fans may assume they are safe and divert their votes to a lower-scoring favorite. In contrast, couples who frequently land in the bottom two often benefit from a "rallying effect," where their fans vote aggressively to keep them out of danger. This dynamic, combined with the fact that Mark Ballas is a returning and celebrated professional, may have led fans to believe they were untouchable, ultimately costing them the votes needed to advance to the finale.

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3. The Intensity of the Semi-Finals Lineup

Season 34 featured one of the most competitive semi-finals in recent memory, making every vote count. The final six couples were all technically proficient and had strong fan bases. The other couples vying for the finale spots included: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson (the eventual winners), Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten (who were eliminated earlier in the night). Facing such a high-caliber field, any slight dip in audience engagement proved fatal. Even with an outstanding score, being the third-highest on a night of near-perfect performances meant they were still vulnerable to the unpredictable nature of the public vote. The competition was simply too fierce for even a 58/60 score to guarantee a spot in the final four.

The Legacy of Whitney and Mark's Season 34 Journey

Despite the abrupt and disappointing exit in the semi-finals, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas left an indelible mark on Season 34. Their partnership was a testament to Mark Ballas’s skill in returning to the ballroom after a hiatus and transforming a reality star into a serious contender. Ballas himself admitted he had a "gut feeling" about their elimination, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the show's format.

Their journey was defined by several standout performances, including their emotional Contemporary dance and their technically demanding Foxtrot. Leavitt's development as a dancer, moving from a novice to a semi-finalist capable of earning 10s from the judges, is the true success story of their run. The pair’s elimination will be remembered as a classic DWTS moment where the power of the audience vote trumped the objective quality of the dance, sparking a vital conversation about the balance between performance and popularity in the competition.

The Season 34 finale ultimately saw Robert Irwin and Witney Carson lift the Mirrorball Trophy, but for many fans, the real drama of the season will always be the shocking elimination of Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, the couple who proved you can do everything right and still fall short of the finish line.