The Season 35 premiere of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) took an unexpected turn when a technical problem disrupted the voting process, forcing viewers to switch methods while the competition was still underway.
The issue emerged during the September 15 live broadcast, just as the first group of celebrities competed for votes. Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough informed viewers that online voting was unavailable, leaving text messages as the only voting option for the night. Variety reported that the situation was later clarified further, with votes submitted online ultimately excluded from the first-night results.
