"Dancing with the Stars" returned on Monday night for its 23rd season, and with it, some serious – even Olympic-level -- competition for this season’s coveted mirrorball trophy -- and some unexpected (and unwelcome) audience participation with anti-Lochte protesters storming the dance floor.
The biggest news of the night was not a top score, but instead, audience members who bum-rushed the dance floor towards Ryan Lochte during Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of Lochte's dancing.
A witness who was in the ballroom audience watching the live show recounted the incident to Access Hollywood minutes after the dramatic event took place:
"Two audience members interrupted Carrie Ann while critiquing Ryan Lochte. They were wearing anti-Lochte t-shirts with Lochte's name in a circle crossed out and were yelling 'Ryan is a liar' and were walking up to Ryan," the witness observed.
"A security guard tackled one of the guys roughly on the dance floor and there were others standing in the audience with the same shirts," they said.
"Derek [Hough] came out and told them to leave, and Ryan never left dance floor, and the audience applauded when the protest people were removed."
(ABC)
The full leaderboard results for the night in order of top score to least:
Racecar driver James Hinchcliffe & pro Sharna Burgess danced the foxtrot to "Live Life" for a score of 31/40
Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez & pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy cha-cha'd to "American Girl" for a top tied score of 31/40
Actress Marilu Henner of "Taxi" fame & returning pro Derek Hough did a jive to "Can’t Stop Dancing" to earn them a score of 27/40
Country music artist Jana Kramer & returning pro Gleb Savchenko performed a Viennese Waltz to "Dangerous Woman" by Ariana Grande to score a strong 27/40
Football legend Calvin "Megatron" Johnson Jr. & pro Lindsay Arnold cha-cha'd to "That's What I Like" by Flo Rida to earn a score of 26/40
Music icon and producer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds & returning pro Allison Holker danced the foxtrot to "Deed I Do" by Ray Charles for a score of 26/40
Vanilla Ice, Ryan Lochte, Laurie Hernandez and Rick Perry (Getty Images)
Rapper Vanilla Ice & pro Witney Carson danced to "Ice Ice Baby" and earned a score of 25/40
Reality TV star Terra Jolé of "Little Women L.A." & pro Sasha Farber did a jive to "Stuff Like That There" for score of 25/40
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte & pro Cheryl Burke danced the foxtrot to "Call Me Irresponsible" by Michael Bublé for 6's from all the judges for a score of 24/40
Talk show host and model Amber Rose & returning pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced the foxtrot to "Here" by Alessia Cara and score 24/40
Actress Maureen McCormick of "Brady Bunch" fame & pro Artem Chigvintsev danced the Viennese waltz to "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" by Mary J. Blige to score 22/40
Former child actor Jake T. Austin & first-season pro Jenna Johnson jived to One Direction's "Kiss You" to score 22/40
Former Texas Governor and former Presidential candidate Rick Perry & pro Emma Slater performed the cha cha to "God Blessed Texas" for the low score of the night of 20/40
All of the dancing pairs will return next week September 19 but elimination begins with one couple going home on September 20.
DWTS airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC, with the second week as a two-hour show on September 19, and then a two-hour results show on September 20.
