The Shocking Semi-Finals Exit: Who Was Eliminated From Dancing With The Stars Season 34?

The ballroom drama reached a fever pitch during the final weeks of Dancing with the Stars Season 34, which concluded on December 2, 2025. The most recent elimination before the grand finale sent shockwaves through the fanbase, proving once again that high scores from the judges are no guarantee of safety when the viewer vote comes into play. If you missed the final episodes, the star who was eliminated just shy of the Mirrorball Trophy was a contestant known for their incredible improvement and controversial reality TV background.

The most recent celebrity to leave the competition was reality star and social media influencer Whitney Leavitt, alongside her professional partner, the legendary Mark Ballas. Their shocking exit during the Semi-Finals, despite achieving near-perfect scores, immediately became the biggest talking point of the entire 2025 season, leaving only four couples to compete for the coveted title.

Whitney Leavitt: Biography, DWTS Journey, and Shock Exit

Whitney Leavitt’s journey on Dancing with the Stars Season 34 was one of the most compelling narratives, marked by high scores, a strong partnership, and a controversial finish. Her elimination in the Semi-Finals was widely considered a major upset by both judges and viewers, sparking an intense debate about the show’s voting system.

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• Full Name: Whitney Leavitt
• Date of Birth: May 12, 1993
• Age (as of 2025): 32 years old
• Profession: Reality Television Star, Social Media Influencer, Entrepreneur
• Known For: Starring in the reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and being one of the original "MomTok" influencers.
• DWTS Partner: Mark Ballas (Two-time Mirrorball champion)
• Elimination Date: Semi-Finals (Week 9), November 2025
• Post-DWTS News: Shortly after her elimination, it was announced she is set to make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago, a testament to her newfound performance skills.

Leavitt and Ballas were eliminated after receiving a combined score of 58 out of 60 for their two Semi-Finals dances—a near-perfect performance that should have guaranteed them a spot in the finale. Their elimination, based on the combination of judges' scores and viewer votes, highlighted the immense power of the public vote and the loyal fanbases of other celebrity contestants, such as eventual winner Robert Irwin and runner-up Alix Earle. Many fans and commentators argued that Leavitt was the "best dancer" to be eliminated from the series that season.

The Complete DWTS Season 34 Elimination Order (2025)

Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on September 16, 2025, and concluded on December 2, 2025, featured a diverse cast of celebrities from sports, reality TV, and Hollywood. The competition was fierce, with several shocking departures leading up to the grand finale. Here is the full chronological list of who went home, week by week, in the 2025 season.

The judges for Season 34 included returning experts Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough as hosts.

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The Weekly Celebrity Exits

The season began with 14 couples vying for the Mirrorball Trophy. The emotional eliminations were based on a combination of the judges' scores from the previous week's performance and the live viewer votes cast during the show.

• Week 1 Elimination: The first elimination of the season was often a surprise, setting the tone for the competition. (Note: Specific name for Week 1 elimination was not widely reported, but the season began with 14 couples.)
• Week 2 Double Elimination: The first major shock of the season saw two celebrities depart.
  • Baron Davis (NBA All-Star) & Britt Stewart
  • Corey Feldman (Actor) & Jenna Johnson
• Week 3 Elimination:
  • Lauren Jauregui (Fifth Harmony Singer) & Brandon Armstrong. Despite a strong fanbase, the pop star left early.
• Week 4 & 5 Eliminations: (Specific names for these weeks were not explicitly listed in the top results, but the competition continued to narrow.)
• Week 7 (Halloween Night) Elimination:
  • Jen Affleck (*The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* Star) & Jan Ravnik. Jen’s exit marked the end of the Halloween-themed week.
• Week 8 Elimination:
  • Danielle Fishel (*Boy Meets World* Actress) & Pasha Pashkov. Fishel's nostalgic presence in the ballroom came to an end.
• Semi-Finals Elimination (The Final Cut):
  • Whitney Leavitt (Reality Star/Influencer) & Mark Ballas. This controversial elimination paved the way for the final four.

The Final Four and The Mirrorball Trophy Winner

Following Whitney Leavitt’s departure, the competition moved into the highly anticipated finale, where the remaining four couples performed their final routines. The scores were extremely tight, making the viewer vote more crucial than ever in determining the 2025 champion.

The Final Four couples who competed for the Season 34 Mirrorball Trophy were:

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• Robert Irwin (Conservationist) & Witney Carson
• Alix Earle (Podcaster/Influencer) & Val Chmerkovskiy
• Jordan Chiles (Olympic Gymnast) & Ezra Sosa
• Dylan Efron (*The Traitors* Star) & Daniella Karagach

The results of the finale saw a dramatic finish. Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach finished in fourth place, while Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa took third. The final showdown came down to the two social media powerhouses, Alix Earle and Robert Irwin.

The Ultimate Winner of Dancing with the Stars Season 34 (2025) was Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson. The conservationist, despite suffering a rib injury just before the finale, clinched the title, with Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy finishing as the runners-up.

Why the Semi-Finals Elimination Sparked DWTS Outrage

The elimination of Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas became a focal point of discussion for the entire season. The core of the outrage stemmed from the perceived injustice of their departure based purely on performance.

In the Semi-Finals, the couple performed two spectacular routines, earning a 29/30 for their Cha-Cha and another 29/30 for their Viennese Waltz, totaling a near-perfect 58/60. Their high standing on the judges' leaderboard was simply not enough to overcome the lower number of viewer votes they received, a common issue in competition shows where popularity can sometimes outweigh technical skill. This result reignited the long-standing debate among DWTS fans and critics about whether the show is truly a dance competition or a popularity contest. The exit also meant fans missed out on seeing their planned, highly-anticipated freestyle routine in the finale.