Sarah Jane Nader DWTS Exit Comes After Season 35 Premiere
The Sarah Jane Nader DWTS exit came earlier than expected as the reality television personality and her professional partner, Hailey Bills, were eliminated during the second night of the two-part Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premiere.
Nader and Bills performed a jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The pair received a combined score of 14 out of 30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli before viewer votes were added to determine who would continue into the second week.
Their elimination made them the second celebrity couple sent home during the show’s unusual two-night premiere. The first elimination came one night earlier, when Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman were eliminated.
For Nader, the exit ended a brief but notable run on the ballroom floor, particularly because she and Bills formed one of the show’s same-sex pairings for the season.
Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills Score 14 Points
Nader and Bills entered the ballroom with a high-energy jive.
The routine had several strong moments, but the judges pointed to synchronization and timing as areas that needed improvement.
Inaba praised the performance’s energy but said the pair were out of sync for much of the routine. Hough also said he saw potential while noting that it took too long for the dance to fully develop.
Tonioli similarly emphasized the importance of synchronization and timing.
The three judges ultimately gave the couple scores of 5, 4 and 5, resulting in a total of 14 points.
That put Nader and Bills in a difficult position heading into the elimination portion of the episode.
Unlike a competition decided solely by judges’ scores, Dancing With the Stars combines judges’ scores with viewer voting. The final result therefore depends on both elements.
Why Sarah Jane Nader Was Eliminated
Nader and Bills were among the final three couples left in danger at the end of the episode.
The other couples in the bottom group were Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten, along with Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik.
After the remaining couples were announced as safe, Nader and Bills were revealed as the eliminated pair.
The result meant Nader’s journey ended after just one performance.
Her elimination also followed a first night that had already sent one couple home. The two-night format resulted in two celebrities leaving before the competition moved into its regular weekly schedule.
Yahoo’s report identified Nader and Bills as the second pair eliminated from the 2026 season and noted that the pair’s 14-point score was combined with audience voting.
Nader Highlighted the Importance of Her Partnership
Before the elimination was announced, Nader spoke about what it meant to share the ballroom with Bills.
The partnership was notable because it represented one of the same-sex pairings featured during the show’s 35th season.
Nader said the experience of performing alongside another woman carried significance for her. She also expressed hope that the pairing would communicate a broader message about being able to dance with and love the person someone chooses.
The comments added a personal dimension to an otherwise competitive night.
Although the pair did not receive a high judges’ score, Nader and Bills’ participation became part of a broader representation story surrounding the season.
Sarah Jane Nader Has a Family Connection to DWTS
Nader was not the first member of her family to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
Her older sister, Brooks Nader, previously competed on the show during Season 33.
Brooks’ experience gave Sarah Jane a direct connection to the competition before she entered the ballroom herself. Yahoo reported that Brooks previously competed in 2024 and finished ninth.
Sarah Jane later said her own experience gave her greater appreciation for what her sister had gone through.
In an interview with Us Weekly following her elimination, Nader said she gained more respect for Brooks after experiencing the demands of the show firsthand.
She explained that Brooks had warned her that the competition was not easy and that she did not enter expecting to simply move through the season without difficulty.
That family connection became one of the more interesting elements surrounding Nader’s appearance.
From Love Thy Nader to the DWTS Ballroom
Nader is known for appearing alongside her sisters on the reality series Love Thy Nader.
The show follows the Nader sisters and their lives, careers and relationships.
The family includes Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann and Sarah Jane. Their careers have developed in different areas, while their family connection has remained an important part of their public profile.
Sarah Jane’s appearance on Dancing With the Stars gave her an opportunity to build on that television profile in a completely different environment.
Instead of documenting everyday life, the competition required her to learn choreography, rehearse repeatedly and perform live under the scrutiny of professional judges and viewers.
Her short run nevertheless put her in front of a much larger television audience.
DWTS Season 35 Began With Two Eliminations
The Sarah Jane Nader DWTS exit was not the only surprise during the opening week.
Season 35 began with a two-night premiere that separated the male and female celebrity performances.
On the first night, Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman were eliminated after performing a salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).” They received 12 out of 30 from the judges.
Nader and Bills then became the second eliminated couple on the following night.
The format meant that the cast was reduced quickly before all remaining couples began competing together.
The next stage of the season will therefore feature the surviving couples competing under the show’s regular schedule.
Other Couples Made Strong First Impressions
While Nader’s exit dominated the end of the second premiere episode, several other couples posted stronger judges’ scores.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas finished the women’s night with 21 out of 30 for their foxtrot, giving them the highest score of the evening.
Jenna Dewan and Valentin Chmerkovskiy earned 19, while Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa and Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn with Pasha Pashkov each scored 18.
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten received 17, while Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong scored 15.
The scores illustrate how competitive the opening week was, although the elimination result also depended on public voting.
Harry Shum Jr. Also Topped the Opening Week
On the first night of the premiere, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned 21 points for their cha-cha.
That tied them with Higgins and Ballas for the highest score after the two-night premiere.
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach were also among the higher-scoring couples after receiving 20 points for their tango.
The early leaderboard therefore featured several established performers, athletes and entertainment figures who quickly attracted attention.
However, the competition is only beginning, and the first-week scores do not determine the eventual outcome.
The Show’s Voting System Also Made Headlines
The opening night of Season 35 experienced a technical problem involving online voting.
According to Yahoo’s report, the online voting system stopped working during the live broadcast. Julianne Hough initially told viewers that online voting was temporarily unavailable and encouraged them to vote by text.
Later, host Alfonso Ribeiro announced that the online votes would be discarded for that night, meaning only eligible text votes would count. Online voting returned for the second episode.
The voting issue added an unexpected complication to the beginning of the season.
By the time Nader and Bills faced elimination on Wednesday, however, the online system had been restored.
Nader’s Exit Came Despite a Meaningful Performance
The Sarah Jane Nader DWTS exit demonstrates how quickly the competition can change during the opening stages.
A celebrity can deliver a memorable performance or connect with viewers but still leave after one week when judges’ scores and public voting are combined.
Nader’s jive was not without positive feedback.
Inaba described the routine as energetic, while Hough emphasized that he could see potential in the partnership. But the judges also identified synchronization and timing problems that affected the overall score.
With only one performance completed, Nader and Bills had limited opportunity to demonstrate how much they could improve.
The elimination therefore ended their competitive run before audiences could see how the partnership might have developed over several weeks.
Nader Says She Has No Regrets
Following her elimination, Nader focused on the experience rather than the short duration of her run.
Her comments to Us Weekly reflected appreciation for the opportunity and for her partnership with Bills.
She also acknowledged that participating in the show changed how she viewed her sister Brooks’ earlier experience.
Nader said she had already understood that the competition would be demanding, but experiencing it personally gave her a deeper appreciation for the work involved.
That perspective has become part of the story surrounding her early exit.
Rather than treating the result as the end of her television career, Nader has emphasized the opportunity to take part in the competition and the relationships developed during the process.
Hailey Bills’ DWTS Journey Also Ends
The elimination also marks the end of Hailey Bills’ Season 35 run.
Bills served as Nader’s professional partner and worked with her throughout the preparation for their opening jive.
The pair’s partnership attracted attention partly because of its same-sex format.
For Bills, the elimination means she will not continue into the next stage of the competition with Nader, while the remaining professional dancers move forward with their celebrity partners.
The opening week therefore produced an unusually quick conclusion for two couples.
What Happens Next on Dancing With the Stars?
After the two-night premiere, Dancing With the Stars moves to its regular Tuesday schedule.
The next episode is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu.
Fourteen couples remain after the first two eliminations.
The remaining contestants will now compete together rather than being divided across the two premiere nights.
That change will give viewers a clearer picture of how the season develops as the couples accumulate more performances and judges’ scores.
For Nader, however, the ballroom chapter has already closed.
Sarah Jane Nader Leaves DWTS After One Night
Sarah Jane Nader’s time on Dancing With the Stars ended after one competitive performance, but her appearance gave the Season 35 premiere one of its most discussed storylines.
Her partnership with Hailey Bills brought a same-sex pairing to the ballroom, while her family connection to former contestant Brooks Nader provided another link to the show’s recent history.
The pair earned 14 out of 30 for their jive before viewer votes determined that their run would end.
Nader leaves the competition alongside Bills as the second eliminated couple of Season 35.
The result came earlier than they may have hoped, but Nader has said the experience gave her a greater appreciation for the work required on the show, including the effort her sister Brooks previously put into her own season.
With the premiere now complete, the remaining contestants move forward toward the next stage of the competition.
For Nader, the mirrorball journey is over. But her brief appearance has already become part of the early story of Dancing With the Stars Season 35.
