Dancing with the Stars lost Billy Dee Williams and his professional partner Emma Slater due to the actor's medical condition that forced the couple to withdraw themselves from the eighteenth-season competition.

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Billy Dee and Emma were the third couple eliminated from Dancing with the Stars during Monday night's broadcast on ABC after Billy Dee had to remove himself from the competition because he's been suffering from "a chronic back problem" that left him unable to compete. Billy Dee said he regrets not being able to dance again on the show but had a blast and fantastic time thus far.

"Being here has been a very important part of getting up in the morning, and Emma was definitely the partner I needed. I've enjoyed being here. Of course I'm going to keep dancing! My time on Dancing with the Stars, it's an epic moment. It's part of me now. This is something I'm going to carry with me for many years to come," Billy Dee said in a video montage following his ouster.

"The partnership that Billy and I built together, I clicked with him. I love you, Billy. I think you got the chance to show the world what a sensational man you are, and I'm really glad for the relationship that we created," Emma added. "It's been unexplainable, the moments that I've had with him. He's been cheeky, he's kind of put me to the test, but Billy, dancing with you... I'll never forget it."

Billy Dee planned to dedicate this week's dance to his grandchildren. Last week, Billy Dee and Emma landed at the bottom of the leaderboard in eleventh -- and last -- place after they performed a tango routine which earned only 15 points from Dancing with the Stars judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Below is the leaderboard from Monday night's performance show, which featured the celebrity and professional pairings performing dances that best represented the most memorable year of each celebrity's life. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts served as a guest judge in addition to the regular three-person panel.

Sochi Olympics ice dancing gold medalist Meryl Davis and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy finished in first place on the judges' leaderboard with 39 total points. The pair received the first 10s of the season from Robin, Bruno and Carrie Ann after they performed a foxtrot routine which represented Meryl's 17-year ice dancing journey to the Olympics.

Second place, which equaled 36 points on the leaderboard, ended up being a four-way tie amongst the following celebrities: Nickelodeon star and Big Time Rush singer James Maslow, actress and former The Wonder Years star Danica McKellar, double-amputee snowboarding champion Amy Purdy, and Sochi Olympics ice dancing gold medalist Charlie White.

James and partner Peta Murgatroyd danced a jive that represented the year 2007, when James overcame bullying and booked his Big Time Rush gig.

Danica and partner Val Chmerkovskiy performed a contemporary routine. She dedicated their dance to the year 2010 when her son Drako was born, and a year before that, her grandmother had passed away.

Amy and partner Derek Hough also danced a contemporary routine, which portrayed Amy's father giving her life twice. Her 1999 case of Bacterial Meningitis resulted in the loss of both her legs in addition to her kidney function. Amy's father had given her one of his kidneys and helped her walk for the first time.

Charlie and partner Sharna Burgess danced the jive and dedicated it to the year 2010, when he and Meryl won silver medals in the Olympics and he realized right then and there he wanted to strive for gold.

Sixth place went to Australian pop singer Cody Simpson and partner Witney Carson. They received 35 points from the judges after dancing a jazz routine which represented Cody's 2010 move from Australia to the United States for a record contract, when his family had left everything behind to stand behind his dream.

Actress and former Full House star Candace Cameron and partner Mark Ballas finished in seventh place on the judges' leaderboard with 32 points. Candace dedicated their jive dance to the year 1995, when Full House ended and she got engaged two months later. Candace said she left one family to join another.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes and partner Tony Dovolani landed in eighth place on the leaderboard with 31 total points. They danced the rumba, dedicating it to the year 2013, when NeNe got married to her first husband for the second time. 

Placed ninth -- and last -- on the leaderboard was comedian and game show host Drew Carey and partner Cheryl Burke. Drew chose to perform a waltz routine in memory of the year 2005, when his son Connor was born and he decided to lose weight and become healthy again in order to be a better father. The pair received 30 points from the judges.

All nine eighteenth-season Dancing with the Stars couples will return for another two-hour performance show on Monday, April 7 during which the judges' scoring and home viewer voting results from last night's broadcast will be combined and one couple will be eliminated.

The season's special "Switch-Up" twist will also take place next week. However, Dancing with the Stars' original celebrity and professional pairings will resume in Week 5 of the competition.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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