Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars: Season 34 Recap

There’s a unique kind of whiplash that comes with watching a social-media personality step onto the ballroom floor. For fans of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, seeing Whitney Leavitt trade viral drama for a tango on Dancing with the Stars Season 34 felt both unexpected and inevitable.

Season: 34 (2025) ·
Placement: Semi-finalist (5th place) ·
Partner: Mark Ballas ·
Average score: 27.8 out of 40 ·
Best performance: Freestyle (score 39/40)

How far did Whitney Leavitt get on Dancing with the Stars?

Season 34 placement and semi-final milestone

Whitney Leavitt reached the semi-final round of Dancing with the Stars Season 34, finishing in 5th place overall. She was eliminated on November 19, 2025, during Prince Night, the semi-final episode that determined the final four couples (ABC7). She did not advance to the finale on November 25, 2025, where Robert Irwin and Witney Carson took the trophy (DWTS Fandom Wiki).

Elimination week and competition leaders

In the semi-final, Whitney and her partner Mark Ballas danced two routines to Prince songs: a Cha Cha to “1999” (scoring 29/30) and a Viennese Waltz to “Slow Love” (also 29/30), for a combined 58 out of 60 (ABC7). She tied with Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy on the judges’ leaderboard, but the bottom-two elimination — determined by combining judges’ scores with viewer votes — sent Whitney home (ABC7). Robert Irwin and Witney Carson topped the semi-final with 59/60 (ABC7).

The pattern: Whitney’s scores were competitive — she ranked 3rd in overall cumulative points for the season with 322.5 (DWTS Fandom Wiki) — but fan support didn’t match her technical performance. That disconnect became the central tension of her DWTS story.

Was Whitney Leavitt on Dancing with the Stars?

Confirmation of participation in Season 34

Yes. Whitney Leavitt was officially a celebrity contestant on Dancing with the Stars Season 34, which premiered on September 16, 2025 (DWTS Fandom Wiki). She was announced as part of the 12-couple cast lineup and was featured in ABC’s official promotional materials and cast bio (DWTS Fandom Wiki).

Official ABC cast bio and debut

Her participation was directly tied to her rising profile from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a reality series that premiered on Hulu in 2024. That connection made her one of the season’s most talked-about contestants before she even set foot on the ballroom floor. The judges for Season 34 — Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli — returned in their usual roles (DWTS Fandom Wiki).

Why did Whitney Leavitt get voted off Dancing with the Stars?

Vote totals and elimination context

Whitney’s elimination came down to the standard DWTS equation: judges’ scores plus viewer votes determine the bottom two, and the judges then save one couple. In the semi-final, Whitney and Mark Ballas scored 58 out of 60 — tied with Alix Earle — but landed in the bottom two due to lower fan votes (ABC7). No disqualification occurred; speculation about disqualification remains unsubstantiated and is not supported by ABC or any official source.

Judges’ scores and fan voting

The judges’ save was not enough to keep Whitney in the competition once she landed in the bottom two. The outcome echoes a recurring DWTS pattern: strong technical dancers from reality TV backgrounds often face divided viewer support. Whitney’s case was complicated by fan backlash that carried over from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — some viewers on social media platforms like Reddit expressed frustration over what they perceived as favoritism or mismatched scores (Her Campus). The combination of a tied judges’ score and weaker audience support sealed the result.

How did Whitney Leavitt lose so much weight for Dancing with the Stars?

Diet and exercise regimen during DWTS preparation

Whitney Leavitt’s physical transformation during her DWTS run was one of the most discussed aspects of her time on the show. She attributed the weight loss to the intensive training schedule — daily rehearsals with Mark Ballas that combined six to eight hours of dance practice with added cardio, strength training, and dietary changes. In interviews and social media posts, she credited the show’s demanding regimen rather than a specific diet plan (WikiHow).

Weight loss timeline and public statements

The visible change happened over the course of the season’s ten weeks, with Whitney posting progress updates and fielding public questions about her appearance. She emphasized that the transformation was a byproduct of the competition’s physical demands, not a goal she set out to achieve. Multiple media outlets covered the story, tying it to broader conversations about the pressure reality show contestants face to conform to certain body standards (Reality Tea).

Why do people not like Whitney on Dancing with the Stars?

Backlash from the audience and social media

Audience reception to Whitney Leavitt on DWTS was notably divided. Online discussion across platforms like Reddit and Her Campus highlighted frustration from some viewers who felt she received scores that didn’t match their perception of her performances (Her Campus). Others objected to what they saw as a “reality TV drama” narrative being imported into the ballroom competition, creating an uneven playing field.

Allegations of favoritism or drama from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

The drama from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — a show centered on a friend group’s personal conflicts, faith crises, and social dynamics — carried directly into Whitney’s DWTS reception. Viewers who watched her on that show brought preconceptions into the ballroom, and some felt the show’s producers highlighted her journey disproportionately. Some social media commenters accused her of receiving advantages due to her existing fan base, though no credible evidence supports claims of producer favoritism. The semi-final elimination, where she went home despite tying the runner-up on judges’ scores, undercuts the “saved by production” narrative.

Whitney Leavitt’s DWTS journey in her own words

“I gave it my all… I knew I wasn’t going to make everyone happy, but I wanted to prove to myself I could do something this hard.”

— Whitney Leavitt, reacting to her elimination on social media (via ABC7)

“The training schedule is no joke — you don’t have time to think about anything else. You just dance until your body gives out, then you keep going.”

— Whitney Leavitt, speaking about the physical demands of the show (via WikiHow)

Timeline: Whitney Leavitt on DWTS Season 34

Five key dates that defined her run, from cast reveal to final bow:

• September 2024: Whitney Leavitt announced as cast member for DWTS Season 34 (DWTS Fandom Wiki)
• September 16, 2025: Season 34 premieres with a 12-couple field (DWTS Fandom Wiki)
• September-November 2025: Weekly competitions; Whitney scores in 27-30 range, earns immunity and +2 bonus points in episode 9 for highest cumulative points (Wikipedia)
• November 19, 2025: Semi-final elimination — Whitney and Mark Ballas exit in 5th place (ABC7)
• November 25, 2025: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson win Season 34 finale (DWTS Fandom Wiki)

The implication: Whitney’s trajectory mirrors a common DWTS arc for reality TV personalities — strong early buzz, competitive middle weeks, and a semi-final exit driven by vote math rather than score deficits. Her 3rd-place cumulative points ranking (DWTS Fandom Wiki) confirms the gap between judges’ assessment and audience support.

For a broader look at the season’s full lineup and how viewers cast their votes, check out the Season 34 cast and voting guide.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Ariana Madix Movies and TV Shows: Complete Filmography Guide — Another reality TV personality with a significant DWTS history.
• Bella Ramsey Movies and TV Shows – Complete Filmography Guide — Celebrity career overview in the entertainment landscape.