It’s a whole new era of Dancing With the Stars.
After 30 seasons on ABC, the celebrity dance competition shifted to Disney+ for its season 31 premiere—and it did not disappoint.
Tyra Banks and new co-host Alfonso Ribeiro were joined by a returning judges’ panel of Len Goodman, Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli for the big premiere party, which challenged the group of 16 new competitors to dance to a song that “makes them turn up.”
First, the good news. TikTok star Charli D’Amelio wiped the dancefloor with the competition, earning a whopping 32 points for her Cha Cha to Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Savage” with partner Mark Ballas.
In second place, Wayne Brady and partner Witney Carson earned 28 points for their impressive Cha Cha routine to Carl Carlton‘s “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked).”
The most emotional moment of the evening was saved for Selma Blair and her partner Sasha Farber, who danced the Viennese waltz to David Cook’s “Time of My Life.” Selma, who is competing after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, brought many in the ballroom to tears, including judge Carrie Ann and fellow contestant Jordin Sparks.
Selma broke down into tears herself while receiving her scores, saying, “I’m so grateful, I’m so grateful.” She and Sasha found themselves in a third place tie with Drag Race star Shangela and her partner Gleb Savchenko, with both teams racking up 27 points.
When it came time for the first elimination of the season, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and partner Koko Iwasaki had the lowest judges’ score with 16 points, but were saved by the fan vote.