Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas are still hoping to find a way to thank their fans after being forced to pause their Dancing With the Stars giveaway plans.
“It was a mishap,” Leavitt, 32, told Us Weekly exclusively after the ballroom competition’s Halloween Night episode on Tuesday, October 28. “[It’s] something we wanted to do for the fans and then found out we couldn’t. It is what it is, but we’re going to find out something to do … to say how much we appreciate them.”
Ballas, 39, added that any ideas would have to wait until “after the season” is over. (The season 34 finale airs November 25.)
Shortly before Tuesday’s Halloween-themed performances, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her pro partner shared “some bad news” with their TikTok followers after previously announcing plans to send two lucky fans to the DWTS ballroom for a live taping.
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“We just got out of rehearsal, and we were both informed that we actually can’t do a giveaway for the Dancing With the Stars live show,” Leavitt said in the clip, with Ballas noting that the decision came “directly from ABC and BBC and is completely out of our hands.”
Leavitt added that the pair would “get creative” about another way to reward their fans. “It just really sucks because Mark and I just want to do something really special for you guys that have shown us so much support and love, for us and the show,” she explained.
The idea and subsequent cancellation caused controversy, with some social media users even accusing Ballas and Leavitt of “bribing” viewers for votes. Others argued that “these comments would not be half as hateful” if another pair of DWTS competitors were the ones offering the tickets.
Despite the negativity swirling outside of the ballroom, Leavitt and Ballas pulled off an impressive jazz routine to Green Day’s “Brain Stew” on Tuesday night. The judges — including former pro Cheryl Burke, who returned to the ballroom for the first time in three years on Halloween Night — gave the pair 37 out of 40 points.
The twosome received feedback that they were out of sync on the dance floor, but Leavitt insisted it had nothing to do with the giveaway backlash. “It wasn’t playing in my mind at all,” she told Us.
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Like a true pro, Ballas said he was looking forward to watching the footage back and evaluating what might have gone wrong. “I can tell you that it felt good,” he continued. “And at the end of the day, as a coach, I want it to always feel good for my student. So yeah, I’ll go home and watch it back. … It’s like being a professional NFL player. You’re a professional, you go out there and coach is going to have some words for you after the game. So that’s part of the process.”
Ballas noted that he didn’t expect every routine to be perfect. “Of course there’s going to be things that we have to work on. She’s new to this [and] never done this before, in this capacity,” he told Us. “There’s critiques for everyone.”
Leavitt and Ballas got an extra boost for winning the dance marathon, adding five points to their overall score. Ahead of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night on November 4, Leavitt hopes to improve on her timing.
“I want to really work on it, because it also was a problem in the contemporary [on Dedication Night],” she told Us. “I think I anticipate the next move where I feel like I need to sit back and really listen to the music, be more present in the moment. So I always appreciate the feedback.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.
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