There have been a lot of changes to the Dancing with the Stars season 34 cast, but don’t fret, Carrie Ann Inaba has not left the ballroom! Fans might be surprised to see the original Dancing with the Stars judge missing from the show’s season 34 premiere on Sept. 16, but her absence is not the result of Inaba leaving the show as she will be a member of the judges’ panel this season.
Inaba does not appear in the season 34 premiere of the show as she was unable to make the live taping due to illness.
The longtime Dancing with the Stars judge took to Instagram hours before the premiere on Sept. 16 to confirm her absence from the show. The good news is that she will be back in action, hopefully as early as Episode 2 slated to air Sept. 23!
“I wanted to share that I will not be at the show tonight as I am feeling quite under the weather. I’m resting up and can’t wait to be back next week in good health,” Inaba wrote in a statement. “In the meantime, I wish all the contestants the very best of luck. I’ll be cheering you on from home. Have a great show everyone!”
Why didn’t ABC replace Carrie Ann Inaba for the Dancing with the Stars season 34 premiere?
While Carrie Ann Inaba announced she would be missing the Dancing with the Stars ahead of its live broadcast, ABC opted not to replace Inaba for the premiere and instead proceed with judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough serving as the premiere’s sole judges.
This is certainly an unusual decision as it means the contestants will only be vying for a score of up to 20 points combined, which means we’re going to see some very low Week 1 scores. It’s also against what we’ve seen in the past when a judge has missed a show, with ABC typically bringing in a guest judge to help fill their seat.
It seems ABC ultimately felt it was best not to take away from the season premiere excitement by bringing in a guest judge and instead have Hough and Tonioli go on without a third judge by their side. This does make sense as it’s the premiere and the spotlight should be on the contestants, but it’s a move that still is likely to throw off longtime viewers used to seeing three or more judges on the panel critiquing the dancers.
Dancing with the Stars season 34 makes history before even premiering
While there have been many firsts over the years, Dancing with the Stars season 34 made history before ever even premiering thanks to Carrie Ann Inaba. When Inaba announced she would not appear on the show due to illness, ABC opted not to bring in a guest judge which means the episode will have just two judges on the panel.
This marks a first for the longtime show which historically has brought in guest judges when a member of the judging panel is unable to attend a taping.
As a result, the Dancing with the Stars season 34 premiere will make some history with contestants vying to get the best possible score out of 20. This means we’re certain to see some of the lowest Week 1 scores in the recent era with contestants likely ending Week 1 with a score in the range of 10 to 18, as a 10 in Week 1 has never happened.
Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.