Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” Sets the Stage for Connor Wood’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Debut
Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” provided the soundtrack for one of the more entertaining debuts on the Season 35 premiere of Dancing With the Stars, as comedian and podcaster Connor Wood took the ballroom floor with professional partner Rylee Arnold.
The pair performed a Cha-Cha during the first night of the show’s two-night premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 15. By the end of the evening, Wood and Arnold had earned enough support from the judges and viewers to continue into another week of competition.
Season 35 opened with the male celebrities performing on night one, while the female contestants are scheduled to take the ballroom floor on the second night. Each celebrity was assigned a No. 1 song from the year they were born.
Connor Wood Brings Tim McGraw to the Ballroom
Wood was the only male contestant on the opening-night lineup to perform to a country song. He and Arnold danced to McGraw’s 1995 hit “I Like It, I Love It,” giving the familiar country track a very different setting in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom.
The night’s other male contestants included Harry Shum Jr., Guillermo Rodriguez, Jackson Olson, Conner Leavitt, Taylor Hanson, Ezra Frech and Tyler Cameron.
Wood, known as a comedian and podcaster, entered the competition paired with Arnold, who is returning as a professional dancer for Season 35. ABC lists Wood as Arnold’s celebrity partner for the new season.
The routine was energetic and showed Wood’s personality, although there were some rough spots that are hardly unusual for a celebrity making a first-week debut.
The judges saw enough potential to look beyond the technical mistakes. Wood and Arnold ultimately received 16 out of 30, with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each offering encouragement alongside suggestions for improvement.
The Judges React to Wood and Arnold
Carrie Ann Inaba said she was pleasantly surprised by Wood’s performance, pointing to a sweetness and softness in the way he danced. She also acknowledged that some of his moves were not yet correct, but felt the performance avoided the awkwardness that can sometimes come with a celebrity’s first routine.
Derek Hough focused on the pair’s chemistry and charisma, describing Wood and Arnold as “a double dose of dopamine.” He said their timing was good for the most part, while noting that there was still work to do on technique.
Bruno Tonioli also responded positively to the pair’s connection. He compared them to the king and queen of the prom and encouraged Wood to maintain the same level of performance because of the way he connects with the audience.
The overall reaction was reflected in the score. Wood and Arnold finished with 16 points, tying Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart and placing them ahead of Jackson Olson, Conner Leavitt and Guillermo Rodriguez on the opening-night leaderboard.
Wood Survives the First Elimination
The first night of Season 35 ended with one couple leaving the competition. Although Wood and Arnold were still working through some technical issues, their performance was enough to keep them in the running.
The first elimination instead went to Conner Leavitt and professional partner Adele Zaikman, who performed a salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is).”
That means Wood and Arnold will return for another week of competition, giving the pair more time to develop their technique and build on the chemistry they showed during their Cha-Cha.
Night one of the Season 35 premiere also saw Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson finish with the highest score, earning 21 out of 30, while Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach followed with 20.
With Wood and Arnold safely moving forward, their performance to “I Like It, I Love It” has given them a starting point to build on as Season 35 continues. The second night of the two-part premiere features the female celebrities, with the competition continuing on Sept. 16.
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