Want to save your favorite on ‘DWTS’? Here’s what you need to know about text numbers and vote limits
From Robert Irwin delivering a stellar first performance to Carrie Ann Inaba missing out on the action, the premiere episode of 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 34 was anything but ordinary. While the contestants put on their best show, it's not only their performance that will help them move to the next round. Fans must be aware that they can support their favorites by voting for them. If you also want to save your beloved celebrity, this news is just for you.
Viewers in the United States, its territories, and Canada are eligible to vote for 'Dancing With the Stars' during the live broadcast window. Online voting begins when the show airs at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT and remains open until the final couple has performed. To participate online, fans must create an account at dwtsvote.abc.com, verify their email address, and then follow the prompts to submit votes. Each viewer can cast up to 10 votes per couple, and votes can be adjusted and saved during the voting period, as per Entertainment Now.
Voting is now OPEN! Make sure to get those votes in to save your favorites from next week’s elimination 👏 #DWTS pic.twitter.com/Bwyo41WEzg
— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@officialdwts) September 17, 2025
In addition to online voting, US audiences have the option to vote via SMS by texting the couple's designated keyword to 21523. Keywords for each couple are provided at dwtsvote.abc.com when voting opens. With SMS voting, fans don't need to create an account, but they'll receive confirmation messages after their first vote and another if they exceed the 10-vote limit per couple. This method, however, is not available to Canadian viewers. Just like online voting, fans can distribute their votes among multiple couples or give all 10 to a single favorite, but the system caps votes at 10 per couple.
Notably, judge Inaba missed the show due to illness, leaving only Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough on the judges' panel. With no replacement, contestants were scored out of 20 instead of the usual 30. Whitney Leavitt and Irwin topped the night with 15/20 each, though Tonioli mistakenly held up a "seven" paddle but entered an eight, giving the reality star a final score of 15. The full cast of 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' was also in the audience, cheering for Jen Affleck and Leavitt, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
On premiere night, competitors also shared personal triumphs, with Fishel talking about her surviving cancer, Corey Feldman revealing he was competing despite scoliosis, and Hilaria Baldwin returning to dance after a hip injury. The standout moment came when Irwin closed the night, with judge Hough declaring it "the best first dance I've ever seen on the show." Irwin's appearance comes 10 years after his sister Bindi won season 21 with Hough. No eliminations occurred during the premiere, but a double elimination is set for next Tuesday, September 23.
Reportedly, 'Dancing With the Stars' season 34 premiere featured former champion Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough returning as co-hosts. Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko also scored great numbers of 14/20. Other highlights included Alix Earle and Lauren Jauregui earning 13/20, Elaine Hendrix, Fishel, and Affleck at 12/20, several couples landing at 10/20, and Feldman and Andy Richter at the bottom with 9/20 each.