Sarah Jane Nader 'Wouldn’t Change a Thing' About Her Time on 'DWTS' Despite Getting Eliminated in the First Round

Sarah Jane Nader broke her silence after being the first of two to be eliminated on Dancing With the Stars.

On the second night of the show, the women showed off their skills, but it wasn’t good enough for Nader and her pro partner, Hailey Bills, who danced to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi.” After their routine, the duo was given a 14 out of 30.

“We’re obviously sad that we got eliminated,” Nader said to Robert Irwin at the after-party. “I wanted us to go far because we had so many ideas and costumes and all the fun things, but we had so much fun out there, and this whole experience has been a month long, and it’s been one of the best experiences of my career, so I’m honored that we got to do it, and that I got to do it with Hailey and we got to do it on such a huge platform.”

She continued, “As much as I am competitive, I was a huge fan of Dancing With the Stars growing up, and I never ever saw queer people on my screen, whether it was scripted TV or unscripted, so being that for my younger self and young girls in Louisiana or young boys in whatever state, I think it’s just so important. And I was so honored and blown away that I got the opportunity to do this.”

Nader opened up about being partners with Bills, saying, “I so admire her as a dancer and a person, and I got everything I hoped out of this experience. I wish it was longer, but I’m honestly just grateful that it happened.”

Bills added, “It’s been incredible. It’s been something I’ve been waiting for so long, and to get it and with a person like Sarah Jane was a dream come true. Tonight didn’t go as we hoped, but I would not change a thing, and I am just so grateful I was able to experience this with Sarah Jane.”

Nader also wrote on her Instagram: "Wouldn’t change a thing💜 @hailey.bills."

Nader, who has been open about her sexuality on her reality show Love Thy Nader, wanted to push the limits, according to the show’s executive producer, Conrad Green.

“Sarah Jane is bisexual, and she wanted to have a female partner,” Green said in an interview with TheWrap. “It was just something about the dynamic of those two together. We kept coming back to them, going, those two look good.”

Nader wasn't the only one to be sent packing.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Connor Leavitt and his partner, Adele Zaikman, were the first to be sent home on Night 1. They performed a salsa routine to “Whoomp! (There It Is)” by Tag Team. Leavitt was heavily criticized by the judges and received a score of 12 out of 30.

The elimination didn’t keep his spirits down. “I still feel like I’m feeling everything,” he told Irwin at the after-party. “You know, you go out there, you leave it all on the floor, you put it all the same way, you say I’m going to be vulnerable, and I’m going to dance our dance. Then sometimes you feel like you crush it, and then you start getting some feedback that can be hard to hear sometimes.”