Carlos PenaVega may feel sorry for Tamar Braxton, but he wishes her Dancing with the Stars withdrawal came at a different time.
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"Last Monday was brutal. I knew from day one that [my wife Alexa "Lex" PenaVega] and I might not make it to the finals together -- and that when that happened it would be rough -- but I just wasn't expecting it to be last week," Carlos wrote in his People blog just prior to the start of last night's show.
"In my head, it was going to maybe happen this week. So, I had been mentally preparing for that. Lex had such a great night [last] Monday and really let herself be vulnerable. I was so happy for her, and all that came crashing down when we were put in jeopardy next to each other."
Carlos explained rehearsing for last week's team routines wedged a divide between himself and Alexa. Since they couldn't spend much time together, emotions were "running high already" prior to Alexa's surprising elimination.
"Then, to be honest, I thought there was no way Tamar Braxton was going to make it back from the hospital in time to compete. It just completely threw me that all of a sudden one of us would be going home," Carlos confessed.
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Carlos was referencing how Tamar needed to go to the hospital last week and therefore missed her first performance. However, she returned to the DWTS studio just in time for her second routine, putting a brave face on so she wouldn't be forced to withdraw from the competition like Kim Zolciak before her.
But after last Monday night's show concluded, Tamar went back to the hospital and learned her condition was much worse than pneumonia and exhaustion -- doctors discovered blood clots in both of her lungs. Due to the severity of Tamar's condition, she announced two days later she had to leave Dancing with the Stars.
"My heart goes out to Tamar for having to quit the show," Carlos continued in his blog, "but it is tough knowing that Lex could still be in this competition with me if Tamar had quit before the end of Monday's show."
Tamar's sudden departure required each of the remaining four couples to compete in an unexpected third round of competition last night. Carlos said rehearsing for the Dance-Off was "insanity" and it "threw everyone for a loop."
The contestants also had no idea whether someone was going to be eliminated at the end of the show.
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"[DWTS producers] told us that if someone is sent home, the final three will have to learn an extra dance next week, too," Carlos revealed.
Despite all the added pressure, Carlos and his pro partner Witney Carson tied for first place on the judges' leaderboard last night with fellow Dancing with the Stars couple Bindi Irwin and partner Derek Hough.
Dancing with the Stars' Season 21 finals will take place next week, with the actual finale episode airing Tuesday night, November 24.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski