'Dancing with the Stars' Season 32 premiere: Matt Walsh and pro Koko Iwasaki ousted as Charity Lawson tops leaderboard

Dancing with the Stars eliminated Matt Walsh and his professional partner Koko Iwasaki and also featured  The Bachelorette star Charity Lawson topping the leaderboard during the Season 32 premiere that aired Tuesday night on ABC.


Matt, a comedian and actor, and Koko became the first couple eliminated from Dancing with the Stars' 32nd season after they had the lowest combined total of judges' scores and viewer votes that were cast live throughout the two-hour episode.

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Matt and Koko had landed in the bottom two couples along with real estate mogul and reality TV star Mauricio Umansky and pro partner Emma Slater in the bottom two couples. Mauricio and Emma survived the night and will dance again next week.

"Koko is the best. I had a wonderful time and it was a wonderful experience," Matt said following his ouster. "[But] I'd ask the judges to rewatch that routine some time."


Matt was apparently calling out Dancing with the Stars' judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli for giving him the lowest score of the night, 12 points out of a possible 30 points.

Prior to the elimination portion of the evening, each of the 14 celebrity and professional pairings performed in one round of competition, hoping to eventually win The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Alfonso Ribeiro is now serving as host of Dancing with the Stars, and Julianne Hough joined him as co-host and interviewed the couples in the skybox after their performances.

The Bachelorette star Charity Lawson and pro partner Artem Chigvintsev topped the judges' leaderboard in first place with a score of 22 out of 30 points.

Charity and Artem danced the tango, and Bruno said it was an exquisite "tango stunner" and that Charity had stellar execution. Carrie Ann thought the dance was "incredible" and "amazing" for Week 1, and she pointed out how Charity had amazing lines but lacked confidence a tiny bit.


Two couples tied for second place on the leaderboard with 21 judges' points: Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix and pro partner Pasha Pashkov as well as two-time Grammy winner Jason Mraz and pro partner Daniella Karagach.

Ariana and Pasha took the stage with a tango routine, and Bruno thought it was "fantastic" for a first dance, as Ariana had moved across the dance floor so strongly and with attack. He called it "killer" and thought Ariana's focus and sharpness were "unbelievable."

Jason and Daniella performed the cha cha, and Carrie Ann thought it was the best dance of the night. (Jason had performed halfway through the evening). Derek gave Jason a standing ovation, saying he had excellent timing and execution.

Jason was dubbed "a contender" in the competition and "the one to watch" this season.

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Fourth place on the leaderboard went to singer and social media star Lele Pons and pro partner Brandon Armstrong with 19 points from the judging panel.

After dancing a tango, Bruno said Lele was on fire and certainly attacked the dance. She was advised to watch her turns, but Carrie Ann thought the performance was "powerful" and "mesmerizing."

Fifth place represented a tie between two celebrities: Marvel star Xochiti Gomez and NFL All-Star running back Adrian Peterson.

Xochiti and Adrian received 18 points from the judges for their cha cha and salsa routine, respectively.

Xochiti and pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy brought a lot of energy into the ballroom. Carrie Ann called the actress "a wild stallion" who boasted charisma and definitely has "the IT factor."


And Bruno praised Adrian for committing and delivering in his dance, despite some messy footwork here or there. Carrie Ann added how Adrian has "swagger" and just needs to do a little less stomping around on the stage.

Actress Mira Sorvino and pro partner Gleb Savchenko finished the night in seventh place on the judges' leaderboard with 17 points.

Mira and Gleb danced the cha cha, and Carrie Ann said Len would've loved that classic and well-performed routine. She gushed about Mira's toned legs, but Derek advised Mira to get out of her head a little bit because her moves are there. Bruno also thought Mira had great hip action and fluidity.

The Brady Brunch star Barry Williams and pro partner Peta Murgatroyd, who danced the foxtrot, placed eighth on the leaderboard with their score of 16 points.

Derek was pleasantly surprised and impressed by Barry's performance. The judge praised the actor for his "effortless" performance, saying that it was very easy to watch. The judges agreed Barry's performance was fun, engaging and heartwarming.


Two couples tied for ninth place on the leaderboard with 15 points: Mauricio and Emma as well as actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears and pro partner Alan Bersten.

Mauricio and Emma took the stage with a jive, and Derek thought Mauricio was right on time and hit his lines and lunges. And Bruno added, "You know how to sell things, don't you?!... Strong presentation, fix the foundation."

Jamie Lynn and Alan performed a tango routine, and Carrie Ann said she liked to see Jamie Lynn smiling and relaxed. Derek noted how Jamie Lynn is better than she believes she is. And Bruno admitted there were a lot of mistakes but it was a challenging dance with a lot of content.

Eleventh place on the judges' leaderboard went to American Pie actress Alyson Hannigan and pro partner Sasha Farber.

Alyson and Sasha earned 13 points from the judges for their salsa routine.

Carrie Ann said she wants Alyson to bring out her sensual side going forward, but Derek complimented her bubbly delivery and the joy that exuded out of her facial expressions. Alyson was also advised to work on her timing.


Three celebrities finished in a three-way tie for twelfth place with 12 points: Matt and Koko, supermodel and actor Tyson Beckford, and social media and Netflix star Harry Jowsey.

Matt and Koko performed the cha cha, and Carrie Ann said Matt played to his strengths and had a good time on the stage -- but a lot of work must be done. All three judges recognized he had made a lot of entertaining faces, but his technique was lacking.

Tyson and pro partner Jenna Johnson danced the cha cha, and Bruno said there should be no heel leads in the dance and that Tyson got lost on his timing. Tyson was told he needs to work on technique. However, his personality shined and Carrie Ann noted how he has potential.

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And Harry and pro partner Rylee Arnold -- the little sister of longtime pro Lindsay Arnold -- took the stage with the cha cha.

Derek called Harry's dancing "a little scary," and the judge asked him to be less timid and show more commitment going forward. Bruno also admitted Harry looked a little lost in the dance and he'll have to work hard to keep up with his competitors this season.







About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski