Dancing With The Stars 34, Carrie Ann Inaba Remained Absent From The Show, Here's What We Know

Dancing With The Stars, a dance reality show with an amazing lineup of celebrities dancing to win the trophy, premiered on ABC on September 16, 2025. This season features dynamic contestants from the world of entertainment, sports and social media, including Hilaria Baldwin, Danielle Fishel, Alix Earle, Andy Richter, Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles, Baron Davis, Dylan Efron, Corey Feldman, Scott Hoying, Robert Irwin, Lauren Jauregui, Jen Affleck, and Whitney Leavitt. While the judges Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returned, Carrie Ann Inaba remained missing.

Why Carrie Ann Inaba remained absent from the show

For the unversed, Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returned on the show as co-hosts, cracking jokes with the audience. The judges' panel featured Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli as judges, but the longtime judge, Carrie Ann Inaba, was absent from the premiere, leaving her fans in shock and worried. 

However, she posted a message on Instagram just hours before the show's premiere, revealing that she is not on the show due to illness. She added that she was under the weather and resting at her home. Carrie further revealed that she would return to the judges' panel next week. Her note can be read as:

"I wanted to share that I will not be at the show tonight as I am feeling quite under the weather. I’m resting up and can’t wait to be back next week in good health. In the meantime, I wish all the contestants the very best of luck. I’ll be cheering you on from home."

Soon, fans flooded the comments section, including professional dancers Britt Stewart, Jenna Johnson, and Pasha Pashkov, who commented on her post and urged her to get well soon. Fans were left upset as there was a dip in the premiere, and people stated that the show won't be the same without her presence. 

More about the premiere 

However, it is worth mentioning that the show started with a bang, as 13 new celebrity contestants took to the dance floor. The show hit the dance floor for the first time, kicking off the competition, drama and sparkling performances. The premiere kicked off with an opening dance, Kill The Lights  by Whitney Myer, and it was choreographed by Ray Leeper. The all-new trouple left the stage abalze as they dance to Tate McRae's Just Keep Watching.

Soon, Ribeiro revealed that Monday's episode had surpassed the largest number of voters from the Season 33 premiere. He shared that the voters have doubled from the last season's premiere. The final dance of the night was from Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, a routine Hough said was something he had never seen. It is worth mentioning that Irwin was at the top of the leaderboard, tying with Whitney Leavitt with a score of 15.

It is worth mentioning that this time there was no elimination during the premiere. The votes from the first two weeks will be combined with judges' scores to determine two couples who will go home in a double elimination in the third week of the show. 

What do you think about Carrie Ann Inaba's absence from the show?

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