On the Oct. 14 episode of season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars,” the remaining 10 couples hit the ballroom for one of the show’s most meaningful themes yet: Dedication Night.
The celebrity contestants dedicated their performances to those who have made an impact in their lives, and, for the first time in DWTS history, these selected family members and friends will join them on the ballroom floor.
For “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt, she chose to dedicate her dance to her husband, Conner Leavitt, using a song from “American Idol’s” most recent winner.
Whitney Leavitt Uses ‘American Idol’ Winner Jamal Roberts’ Song ‘Heal’ for Dedication Night
Reality TV star Whitney Leavitt is honoring her husband, Conner Leavitt, for Dedication Night on “Dancing With the Stars.” Conner has been spotted in the audience every night so far, watching his wife nail every performance with her professional partner, Mark Ballas.
Whitney and Ballas take on a contemporary number during the Week 5 episode. For her song, the MomTok star chose “American Idol” season 23 winner Jamal Roberts’ debut single “Heal.”
“Hi guys, it’s Whitney. We are dancing contemporary. The song is ‘Heal’ by Jamal Roberts,” she began in an Instagram post.
“So the person I’ve chosen to dedicate for next week’s dance is my husband, Conner. I’m sure you’ve seen him in the audience for ‘Dancing With the Stars,'” she said, while also sharing a photo of the two on her phone.
“I chose Conner because I truly, you guys, would not be where I am today without that man. [He] has believed in my dreams from the very beginning and continues to believe in my dreams, my biggest supporter. I wouldn’t be here without him. This one’s for you baby,” she said.
According to People, Whitney and Conner have been married since 2016 and share three children. The couple navigated the ups and downs of their relationship on Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” In a separate Instagram post, Whitney teared up when sharing why the dance was so special to her.
“Conner and I have shared a lot of our story to the world, which can be hard at times. I feel most like myself when I’m dancing, and so I am so grateful to share this story through dance,” she said.
Roberts’ Powerful Song ‘Heal’ Is a Rendition of Tom Odell’s 2013 Single
Jamal Roberts wowed “American Idol” season 23 viewers and the judges with his rendition of British singer Tom Odell’s 2013 single “Heal.” He delivered a powerful performance when he first sang the song during the season’s “Iconic Idol Moments” week. The song would become Roberts’ debut single, and he sang his rendition during the “American Idol” finale, which ended with him being crowned the winner.
Speaking on Praise 102.5, Roberts revealed that he had never heard of Odell’s song, having picked it off a list of tracks given to the Idol contestants.
“I was looking at the song, and I was like, okay, this could work. I was just thinking about the time we live in now and the way the world is set up. The world needs to hear this one word: Heal,” he shared.
In fact, Odell reacted to Roberts’ version of his song and revealed during a radio interview that his rendition made him “cry.”
“The other day this guy in America, here in America, did a cover of ‘Heal’ on ‘American Idol.’ Watch this thing. It made my cry,” Odell expressed. “He does this version of ‘Heal’ and, you know, this is a song I wrote when I was 20 years old and I’m 34 now. And I watched this thing on YouTube.”
He continued, “He even said, he got interviewed, he’d only heard the song, like the day before. And he does this version of it and I’m just like, ‘That is why I do this.’ That’s what music is!”
According to BMG, Roberts’ single went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart.
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