Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay withdrew from Dancing with the Stars ninth season and actress Debi Mazar was eliminated during last night's live results show broadcast of the ABC reality series.

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While DeLay and his professional partner Cheryl Burke were revealed to be safe based on a combination of their judges scores from Monday night's performance episode and home viewer votes cast immediately following the broadcast, he subsequently announced his withdrawal from the competition due to stress fractures in both his feet.

"Now that you've been saved to go through, will you actually be able to continue to dance?" asked Dancing with the Stars co-host Samantha Harris.

"No, I won't," replied a visibly emotional DeLay.

"You can't practice and if you can't practice you make a fool of yourself out here.  I don't want to do that to Cheryl."

Host Tom Bergeron then extended DeLay an invite, telling him that if his feet are feeling better later in the season he is welcome to perform the Texas two-step during the finale broadcast.

"I'd love that," replied DeLay.  "That would be wonderful."

Despite DeLay's withdrawal, Mazar and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy were still ousted during the third week of the competition based on a combination of their judges scores from Monday night's performance episode and home viewer votes cast immediately following the broadcast.

"I definitely know a few more steps, and I've had a great time," said Mazar after her elimination.  "I've loved every moment of it, I have great new friends.  And Maks, I loved my time with Maks."

DeLay had already been diagnosed with a pre-stress fracture in his right foot prior to the show's September premiere, and during Monday night's broadcast he announced he had decided to ignore the advice of his doctor and Dancing with the Stars producers' and continue in the competition despite the newly-diagnosed dual stress fracture.

"What's a little pain when you can party?" he boasted to Bergeron before he performed.  "It's a challenge and I've been having a ball."

DeLay and Burke subsequently received a 15 out of 30 score for their samba performance. While it placed them next to last on the judges' leaderboard, the judges commended him for his effort.

"I have to say that you're easy on the eyes when you dance," began judge Carrie Ann Inaba.  "I love the entertainment value, but it wasn't as exciting as it could have been for a samba.  I just felt like there could have been a little more bounce, but I know your feet... I don't know how you did that sir."

Fellow judge Len Goodman went a step further and called DeLay a "hero."

"If I had a stress fracture of both feet I wouldn't be judging, let alone dancing," he said.  "So well done to you.  It was a bit careful, but I understand that.  Well done."

Judge Bruno Tonioli described DeLay as a "super trouper"

"Of course the performance suffers and we have to judge based on what we see," he added.  "But congratulations for doing it."

"It was fun," replied DeLay.  "It was a lot of fun."

Mazar and Chmerkovskiy performed a samba routine during Monday night's performance episode, for which they received a score of 17 out of 30 possible points -- placing them towards the bottom of the judges' leaderboard.

Inaba described it as "really cute" routine.

"I kind of felt it was just a hair safe," she added.  "I don't know what it is.  You're such a fiery chick, and I kind of expected to see some fire.  It was a little safe.  I have one thing you should work on -- when you turn, watch your expression.  You look a little worried when you turn."

"I am," replied Mazar.

"Let it go," advised Inaba.

Goodman credited Mazar for being "neat and precise."

"But for me it just didn't ignite," he added.  "It was like cooking.  You had all the ingredients but it lacked the flavor."

Tonioli agreed with Inaba and Goodman.

"You have such a fiery personality, it was like a disconnect," he said before adding she also made a few mistakes during the routine.  "It doesn't help because you lose the flow... You've got to work it."

After DeLay's withdrawal but prior to Mazar's elimination during last night's broadcast, Bergeron revealed that retired NFL star Michael Irvin and professional newcomer Anna Demidova were the other couple in the bottom two based on a combination of their judges scores from Monday night -- a 14 out of 30 for their samba -- and home viewer votes cast immediately following the broadcast.

Those viewer votes saved Irvin and Demidova, who's 14 was the lowest judges' score from the performance episode.

Atop the judges' leaderboard for the second week in a row were singer/actress Mya and Dmitry Chaplin, who received a 27 for their rumba. They were followed closely by Olympic gold medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo, who scored a 26 for their rumba.

Rounding out the top of the leaderboard were actress Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough with a 23 for their samba, as well as entertainer Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson and singer Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff -- who both received a 21 for their rumba routines.

Professional snowboarder Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower received a 20 for their rumba, while former The Osbournes star Kelly Osbourne and Louis van Amstel also received a 20 for their samba.

Actress Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas received a 19 for their samba, and they were followed by Food Network host Mark Dacascos and Lacey Schwimmer, who received an 18 for their samba.

UFC mixed martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell and Anna Trebunskaya received a 17 for their samba, tying them with Mazar and Chmerkovskiy.

Dancing with the Stars' next ninth-season performance episode will air Monday, October 12 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC -- with each of the 11 remaining couples performing one of four new dances: the Bolero, Charleston, Lambada or Country Two-Step.

Then on Tuesday at 9PM ET/PT, another couple will be eliminated from the competition based on a combination of the judges' scores and home viewer votes.
About The Author: Steven Rogers

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