Retired NFL star Michael Irvin and Food Network host Mark Dacascos became the tenth and eleventh celebrity participants eliminated from Dancing with the Stars' ninth season during last night's live results show broadcast of the ABC reality series.

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Irvin and his professional partner Anna Demidova were ousted during the seventh 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.

"To see the audience here standing up, it's a way of saying they appreciate the hard work, and I think that means a great deal," said Irvin after his ouster was revealed.

Demidova -- who joined the Dancing with the Stars cast as a professional for the ninth season -- called it a "great experience."

"I want to say thank you to Michael for being such a wonderful partner, such a hard worker," she added.

Dacascos and his professional partner Lacey Schwimmer -- who missed Monday night's performance episode because she was sick with the flu -- were then ousted after competing in a special "Dance Off" with singer Aaron Carter and partner Karina Smirnoff.

The couples were required to compete in the "Dance Off" because they had finished with the next lowest combination the judges' scores from Monday night's performance episode and home viewer votes cast following the broadcast.

The duos were able to pick new routines, which they then performed during the "Dance Off." Once both couples performed, Dancing with the Stars' judges determined which duo they wanted to save and who would be ousted.  Dacascos and Schwimmer went first and they performed a cha-cha-cha.

"Mark, you're back to your best. You're back in your comfort zone with Lacey," said judge Len Goodman.  "It was clean, it was sharp, rhythmic, top-notch performance."

Fellow judge Bruno Tonioli said that Dacascos can "turn more tricks than Heidi Fleiss."

"I don't know what else you could have thrown in there," he added.

Carrie Ann Inaba said she was "so glad" Dacascos was back with Schwimmer.

"Mark, the way you flow from your tricks back into your dancing looked effortless," she added. "You're back in top form."

Dacascos and Schwimmer were followed by Carter and Smirnoff, who performed a jive.

"I have to be honest. I cannot believe that you're in this situation after [Monday] night's excellent jive," said Tonioli.  "This was as good."

Inaba said she disagreed with Tonioli -- but for good reasons.

"I thought this was better than [Monday] night," she added. "The jive is so perfectly suited for you. This is tough tonight, this is tough."

Goodman dubbed Carter "the comeback kid."

"When I think three weeks ago, I was giving you sixes and last night I gave you my first 10," he added. "[Monday] night I thought your jive was brilliant. Again, right on the money."

The judges then decided which couple they would be booting.

"I think both of you are just incredible and I think tonight you both gave your best top-notch performances," said Inaba.

Goodman added both couples danced "fantastically well."

"It was an absolute fantastic Dance Off.  I loved the both of you," he said.

Tonioli thought both couples displayed "the attitude of champions."

"Mark, your cha-cha-cha after last night's samba was spectacular," he added. "Aaron, you kept your determination and you delivered a splendid performance."

Goodman then revealed that the judges were eliminating Dacascos and Schwimmer, which was a "unanimous decision."

"It's one of the greatest experiences of my life," said Dacascos. "It's certainly much harder than it looks on television. It's a lot easier to watch it then to do it. But the bond that you create with the pro dancers -- my dancer, the other celebs -- it's really special."

Schwimmer said she thought Dacascos performed an "awesome" samba on Monday night with her replacement -- previously ousted professional Anna Trebunskaya.

"I got to dance with you one last time and you ended big and you did it great," she said. "I love you. You're awesome."

Irvin and Demidova performed a foxtrot routine during Monday night's performance episode, for which they received a 23 out of 30 possible points.

"Michael I'm going to be honest. The first couple of weeks you were on this show, I would have been happy to see the back of you," commented Goodman. "But I'm so glad you hung around because last week I thought your waltz was fantastic and again tonight, this foxtrot, brilliant. Well done."

Tonioli said he felt Irvin's "musicality has improved."

"It was light, you looked like you enjoy yourself," he added. "An improvement. Way to go."

Inaba said she's unsure how Irvin continues to improve.

"You are incredible. Tonight's performance was gracious, it was fluid, it had great dynamics," she said.  "Very nice, very well done."

Dacascos and Trebunskaya performed a samba during Monday night's episode, for which they received a 19 out of 30 possible points -- placing them at the bottom of the judges' leaderboard.

Inaba began by pointing out that -- between losing Schwimmer to illness and having to travel back and forth between Los Angeles and New York City -- Dacascos had a "really tough week."

"I have so much compassion for you because I know it's really tough to work with one partner for two days and then Anna, thank you so much for coming in," said Inaba.

"But the bad news is that was a mess. It kills me to say this, but it was completely disjointed and there was no flow, there was no ease in the bounce... You had a lot of nervous energy tonight that made everything not flow."

Goodman also acknowledged Dacascos had a "tough week" and had a "very difficult dance."

"It's a terrible combination," he added. "I can't agree with Carrie Ann to the extent she said. I didn't find it terrible. It's not your best dance... I thought under the circumstances you coped very well."

Tonioli called the routine "different" and said it was like "watching Kung Fu Panda doing the samba in the Planet of the Apes."

After all seven couples performed their individual routines during Monday night's performance episode, they competed in one of two group numbers -- either a paso doble or a tango.

The first group -- which consisted of Carter and Smirnoff, Dacascos and Trebunskaya, Irvin and Demidova, and singer/actress Mya and her partner Dmitry Chaplin -- performed the paso doble, for which they received a 24 out of 30 possible points.

The second group -- which consisted of former The Osbournes star Kelly Osbourne and partner Louis van Amstel, entertainer Donny Osmond and partner Kym Johnson, and actress Joanna Krupa and partner Derek Hough -- then performed a tango, for which they received a 28 out of 30 possible points.

The combined scores gave Irvin and Demidova a 47 out of 60 possible points for the night and Dacascos and Trebunskaya a 43 out of 60 possible points -- placing both at the bottom of the judges' leaderboard.

Atop the judges' leaderboard for a second consecutive week were Krupa and Hough, who received a 27 for their samba -- giving them a combined score of 55 out of 60 possible points. They were followed by Carter and Smirnoff, who received a 29 for their jive and had a combined score of 53.

Tied in third place with a combined score of 52 were Osbourne and van Amstel, who received a 24 for their samba, and Osmond and Johnson, who received a 24 for their quickstep.

Rounding out the leaderboard was Mya and Chaplin, who received a 25 for their foxtrot for a combined score of 49.

Dancing with the Stars' next ninth-season performance episode will air Monday, November 9 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC -- with each of the five remaining couples performing both a ballroom dance and a Latin dance.

Then on Tuesday at 9PM ET/PT, one more 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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