No elimination took place during the season 34 premiere of Dancing With the Stars, which means two couples will be saying goodbye next week. "I knew they were gonna do something," pro Mark Ballas exclusively told Us Weekly after his first performance in the ballroom with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt on Tuesday, September 16. "They've done double eliminations before. ... Whenever they don't eliminate week one, you can kinda count on it." While Ballas, 39, said "it's a bummer" to send two pairs home on September 23, he and Leavitt, 32, might be in the clear. The duo landed on top of the leaderboard with 15 out of 20 points for their tango, tying with Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. The cast found out about week two's double elimination at the end of Tuesday's episode, which was missing longtime DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba due to illness. Alan Bersten and Elaine Hendrix were more surprised than Ballas about the twist. Scores Stir Controversy During 'DWTS' Premiere: Which Couple Is on Top? "It was a shock," Bersten, 31, told Us. "We're just gonna keep going, one dance at a time. Hopefully America is just as impressed with Elaine as I am." Hendrix, 54, proved she's ready to compete, earning 12 points from judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. "You never know what's gonna happen," she told Us. "I love this. I thought I was gonna have a good time, but just how much I love it is exceeding my expectations. So I want to keep going ... I'm just loving every second of it." Influencer Alix Earle was also caught off guard - and she isn't looking forward to anyone getting cut. "It's just sad," she explained following her cha-cha with Val Chmerkovskiy. "Everyone is so good and talented and fun and sweet. I mean, I don't want to be eliminated and I don't want anyone else to be eliminated either." Her partner, however, wasn't fazed. "It's good, get them out," he joked. A true DWTS veteran - and a three-time mirrorball trophy winner - Chmerkovskiy doesn't feel the pressure. "I've done this many times, so I've been through that process," he told Us. "That's what makes it so special is that you never know when it's your last performance." Along with the double elimination, fans were surprised by the lower scores seen throughout the premiere. Cohost Alfonso Ribeiro even revealed during the broadcast that the audience in the ballroom wasn't pleased with some of the judges' choices. DWTS' Alfonso Ribeiro Explains How Routines Are Scored After Live Flub Hough, 40, attempted to give an explanation for the low numbers at the start of the show. "The scoring tonight, just be mindful, it might be a little lower than you're expecting because there's a long way to go," he said on Tuesday. "This is a marathon. We want to give you guys room to grow." Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, who were one of the first pairs to perform, received only a 10 out of 20 for their high-energy cha-cha. The Traitors alum, 33, has some nerves going into the double elimination, but he's grateful for the judges' feedback. "I understood what they were saying. ... Derek was saying he wants to see me turn into that 'lead character' type vibe, and that wasn't what we were going for week one," Efron told Us. "We wanted to go out there and have fun." 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!