Unveiling the Top Secret Change on 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 32 Premiere: The Epic Rule Twist No One Saw Coming!
Dancing With the Stars' Season 32 premiere surprises fans as the iconic 'judges' save' rule gets eliminated, sparking speculation about its permanent removal Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough weigh in on the game-changing decision
Carrie Ann Inaba, Jilianne Hough, Derek Hough, Alfronso Ribeiro, and Bruno Tonioli. ABC/Eric McCandless
Fans will anxiously await to see if any couples can be given a second opportunity in season 32 of Dancing With the Stars. In the DWTS premiere on September 26th, comedian Matt Walsh and his partner, Koko Iwasaki, are unfortunately eliminated after just one dance. However, viewers were left perplexed as there was no mention of the "judges' save" prior to the elimination round.
TVLine initially reported that the competition would no longer include the "judges' save." However, it has now been confirmed that the possibility of the save returning during this season remains open.
The concept of the "judges' save" was introduced in season 28 of DWTS. This feature allowed the three judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough, to prevent one pair from being eliminated each season. Previously, Len Goodman, who sadly passed away in April, served as the Head Judge and made the final decision on who would be saved in the event of a tiebreaker.
This wasn't the sole significant alteration witnessed by fans during the premiere of DWTS on Tuesday. The highly sought-after mirrorball trophy underwent a renaming in honor of Goodman, who passed away at 78 after battling bone cancer. Additionally, the grand prize received a complete makeover, unveiling itself to the viewers for the first time.
"The Vince Lombardi trophy at the Super Bowl will no longer be the only prestigious trophy lifted, as the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy now takes center stage on Dancing With the Stars," said Conrad Green, the show's executive producer, in an interview with USA Today on September 20. "Our intention is to honor Len's significant contributions to Dancing With the Stars by making him a permanent fixture, serving as a constant reminder of his profound impact on all of us."
The show's new hosting pair of Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough introduced viewers to a fresh dynamic, as announced by Tyra Banks, who decided not to continue in her cohost role. Banks, 49, joined DWTS in 2020, taking over from Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews. In March, the model shared her dedication to her business ventures, which led to her departure from the hosting position.
"I believe it is now the opportune moment to transition from the dance floor to the stock market floor. Mic drop," Banks expressed in an interview with TMZ. "I am compelled to dedicate my attention and efforts towards my business and entrepreneurial ventures. The time has come. My passion lies within my business and the production of television content."
Ribeiro later divulged to We in exclusive detail Banks's response upon learning of his succession as the host.
During a September 13 interview, he revealed, "She expressed immense happiness for me and made the decision to step aside. I was thrilled to be the one filling her position." Ribeiro also hinted that he and Hough, 35, would make a formidable team.
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“Our connection is fantastic,” he gushed. “I think we’re going to be great together. The energy’s going to be great.”
New episodes of Dancing With the Stars premiere on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
In this article
Alfonso Ribeiro
Julianne Hough
