Dancing with the Stars ousted two couples in a surprise double elimination during Monday night's eighteenth-season broadcast on ABC.
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Swimming legend Diana Nyad and her professional partner Henry Byalikov were the first couple eliminated from the competition after receiving the lowest total of judges' scores and home viewer votes following last week's performance show.
The couple still danced their cha cha routine after the results were revealed but did not earn any new points from judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. Therefore, Diana did not secure a spot on the night's leaderboard.
"For nine years I've wanted to do this show. It's spectacular, the spirit of it. Everyone since Neanderthal days have danced. It's joy, it's freedom. I only wish that this superlative, handsome young man -- who I have locked bodies with now for three weeks, I wish -- he's elegant, he's brilliant, and I wish I could've given him at least a couple more weeks," Diana said following her ouster.
In addition, former NHL hockey star Sean Avery and partner Karina Smirnoff were also cut from Dancing with the Stars.
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Sean and Karina had received the second lowest number of judges' scores and home viewer votes from last week. However, they danced before the second round of results were revealed, so they earned 21 out of 30 possible points from the judges for a salsa routine -- landing them tied for seventh place with three other couples on this week's leaderboard.
"I made a new friend in Karina, I made some money for an amazing charity Friends In Deed, I got out of the cold winter in New York, so it's been a good month," Sean told new co-host Erin Andrews.
"Sean is amazing," added Karina. "I wish we had an opportunity to see more of his personality and many, many more sides to Sean. But his determination and hard work is unbeatable."
Last week, Diana and Henry received 18 points from the judges for a foxtrot routine, while Sean and Karina received 20 points for a contemporary dance.
Below is the leaderboard for Monday night's performance show, which featured the celebrity and professional pairings performing styles of dance they had previously selected for themselves.
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Sochi Olympics ice dancing gold medalist Charlie White, Nickelodeon star and Big Time Rush singer James Maslow, and Sochi Olympics ice dancing gold medalist Meryl Davis all tied for first place with 25 total points each.
Charlie and partner Sharna Burgess danced the tango, Meryl and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy performed a swing dance, and James and partner Peta Murgatroyd danced the salsa.
Fourth place was a tie between actress and former The Wonder Years star Danica McKellar and partner Val Chmerkovskiy as well as double-amputee snowboarding champion Amy Purdy and partner Derek Hough. Both couples received 24 points from the judges. Danica and Val performed the samba, while Amy and Derek took the stage with a swing routine.
Australian pop singer Cody Simpson and partner Witney Carson finished in sixth place on the leaderboard after they danced a tango routine which received 22 points from the judges.
Karina and Sean tied for seventh place on the judges' leaderboard with the following 21-point earning celebrities: Comedian and game show host Drew Carey, actress and former Full House star Candace Cameron, and The Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes.
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Drew and partner Cheryl Burke danced the jive, Candace and partner Mark Ballas performed the rumba, and NeNe and partner Tony Dovolani took the stage with a jive routine.
Eleventh -- and last -- place on the leaderboard, once again, went to actor Billy Dee Williams and his partner Emma Slater after they performed a tango routine which earned only 15 points.
All 10 eighteenth-season Dancing with the Stars couples will return for another two-hour performance show on Monday, March 31 during which the judges' scoring and home viewer voting results from last night's broadcast will be combined and one couple will be eliminated.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski