Who Is Adele Zaikman’s DWTS Season 35 Partner? Is She Dancing With Conner Leavitt?
Adele Zaikman‘s Dancing with the Stars Season 35 celebrity partner has not yet been officially announced by ABC, but the strongest current evidence points toward The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt. Conner has already been reported as part of the Season 35 cast, and multiple pre-reveal pairing reports have linked him specifically…
Adele Zaikman‘s Dancing with the Stars Season 35 celebrity partner has not yet been officially announced by ABC, but the strongest current evidence points toward The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt. Conner has already been reported as part of the Season 35 cast, and multiple pre-reveal pairing reports have linked him specifically with Adele. Some current cast guides are even listing Adele as his partner ahead of the official announcement. The pairing should therefore be considered highly likely rather than officially confirmed until the full celebrity-pro reveal on September 2.
Is Conner Leavitt officially Adele Zaikman’s partner?
Not yet. ABC has confirmed Adele’s professional position by virtue of her winning The Next Pro, but the network has not publicly unveiled her first celebrity partnership. The official Season 35 cast and pairings are scheduled to be presented on Good Morning America on September 2.
That distinction matters because DWTS fans have become remarkably good at identifying partnerships before ABC announces them. Rehearsal-studio arrivals, social media follows, similar filming schedules and insider reports have already exposed or strongly suggested several Season 35 combinations. Adele and Conner are among the pairings receiving the most consistent speculation.
Unlike a random fan pairing, however, this rumor has started appearing in current Season 35 cast coverage as an expected combination. It would still be premature to describe them as officially paired until ABC confirms it.
Related: Who Won DWTS: The Next Pro? Adele Zaikman Joins Season 35
Who is Conner Leavitt?
Conner Leavitt is best known through The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and as the husband of Whitney Leavitt. DWTS viewers already know Whitney because she competed during Season 34 and became one of that season’s notable contestants. Conner was therefore familiar with the ballroom environment even before reports emerged that he would compete himself.
His Season 35 casting creates an unusual continuation of the Leavitt family’s relationship with DWTS. Rather than Whitney returning for another competition, Conner is now expected to become the celebrity learning choreography every week.
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He is 32 and has spent much of the past year appearing publicly alongside Whitney as their family’s profile expanded through television and her post-DWTS opportunities. That gives Adele a partner who understands reality television but will still need her to control the actual dance side of the partnership.
Does Conner Leavitt have dance experience?
Conner is not entering DWTS as a completely unfamiliar performer. He has appeared in social media dance content and has previous stage experience, including involvement with the dance production 11 to Midnight. He also appeared in Whitney’s Season 34 Dedication Night routine, meaning he has technically already performed on the DWTS floor.
That is very different from having professional ballroom training. Adele would still have to teach him the technical requirements of styles such as cha cha, tango, foxtrot and Viennese waltz rather than simply polishing skills he already possesses.
His experience could nevertheless make the early weeks easier. Someone comfortable performing for cameras and learning choreography may progress faster than a celebrity who has never had to remember structured movement in front of an audience.
For Adele, that could be an ideal first partnership. The biggest criticism directed at her during The Next Pro was occasionally that she became too serious or controlled. A celebrity who already understands entertainment and social media could help bring out a lighter side of her while she handles the technical coaching.
Why would Adele and Conner make an interesting Season 35 pair?
Their strengths appear almost opposite in a way that could be useful. Adele comes from elite competitive Latin dancing and has spent years focused on precision, technique and disciplined training. Conner’s public appeal comes much more from personality, reality television and family-centered social media.
The Next Pro repeatedly pushed Adele to become more relaxed and create bigger entertainment moments instead of relying exclusively on technical quality. A partner like Conner could force her to keep developing exactly that part of her DWTS skill set.
The pairing would also arrive with a ready-made audience. Fans of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives watched Whitney compete last season and are likely to follow Conner’s attempt to do the same. Adele, meanwhile, brings viewers who spent the summer watching her earn the professional position.
That means her first Season 35 partnership may begin with more attention than a newly hired DWTS pro normally receives.
When will Adele’s Season 35 partner be confirmed?
The full reveal is scheduled for September 2 on Good Morning America. That is when Adele’s partner should move from internet detective work and entertainment reporting into official DWTS casting. If Conner Leavitt is confirmed, the headline can immediately be updated to:
Adele Zaikman’s DWTS Season 35 Partner Is Conner Leavitt
Until then, keep the question framing. The evidence is strong enough to discuss Conner as the leading possibility, but not strong enough to remove the word “rumored.”
Adele’s victory answered the biggest question surrounding The Next Pro. The identity of her first celebrity partner is now the natural next search, because winning the spinoff was only the audition. Whoever ABC places beside her will determine how quickly the newest DWTS pro has to prove that the judges made the right decision.
