Carrie Ann Inaba missed being in the ballroom on the premiere night of Dancing With the Stars season 34. "Bravo to the whole cast and crew of @dancingwiththestars," Inaba, 57, wrote via her Instagram Story on Wednesday, September 17. "That was an incredible premiere episode! And thank YOU all for the well wishes. I'm touched at all the messages of support I [received] and for the respectful way the show handled a very human situation. And BRAVO to everyone for those incredible performances!" Hours before the Tuesday, September 16, episode, Inaba revealed that she would not be at the judges table with Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli due to an illness. "I wanted to share that I will not be at the show tonight as I am feeling quite under the weather," Inaba wrote via Instagram. "I'm resting up and can't wait to be back next week in good health. 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! ." How 'DWTS' Addressed Carrie Ann Inaba's Season 34 Premiere Absence Multiple outlets later reported that Hough, 40, and Tonioli, 69, would be the only ones handing out scores, which would be on a scale of 20 as opposed to the typical 30. Inaba's absence was quickly addressed during the live show by cohost Alfonso Ribeiro. "That's how to set off a new season of Dancing With the Stars! ... It's great to have all of you at home joining us in the ballroom and wonderful to see our judges. Well, two of them," Ribeiro, 53, quipped on Tuesday. "Carrie Ann is under the weather and hopes to be back with us next week." Cohost Julianne Hough went on to add, "Get well soon, Carrie Ann. We love you." Inaba has been a staple in the ballroom since the 2005 premiere when she took the judges seat with Tonioli and the late Len Goodman. (Goodman died in 2023 after a battle with bone cancer.) "There have been times where I've almost walked away," Inaba admitted at the Variety Women of Reality TV event in November 2023. "As the only female judge for most of the seasons, I get a lot more hate than the men do." Inaba began to get emotional at the event, noting that she's the judge "who cries." She added, "People doubt what I say. ... I feel like I have to fight harder for my opinion to be honored." Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Prove your DWTS fandom with Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv! Compete against other fans and Us editors in the Bracketology DWTS fantasy league this season to predict which pairs will make it to the finale for season 34. Get access to exclusive content, stats and a chance to win prizes. Join the league for free today!