Harry Hamlin and Ashley DelGrosso 'shocked' by 'Dancing' elimination

If Harry Hamlin and Ashley DelGrosso appeared genuinely surprised when Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron ended last week's live results show by announcing that they -- and not fellow bottom two dancing partners Jerry Springer and Kym Johnson -- had been eliminated from the ballroom dancing competition, that's because they were.


"You could have knocked me over with a feather," Hamlin told Kelly Ripa and guest co-host Jesse L. Martin during an appearance on Friday's Live with Regis and Kelly show.

"I was just shocked, literally just taken back," Ashley -- who broke into tears and was unable to speak after learning of the couple's elimination during last Wednesday's Dancing with the Stars results show broadcast -- later added. "Then I got so sad because we wanted to do the Paso [Doble, the bullfighter dance,] so bad and it was next week's dance, it's an amazing dance and we were both like OK, we'll do this next week. It was just a shocker and... it wasn't our time to go I didn't think. That's what was going through my mind -- he's working so hard, he deserves to go further."

But despite his unexpected elimination, Hamlin enjoyed his time on the show. "We had the best time... I said on the show I had an extreme body makeover and it's absolutely true, this girl worked me to the bone, she's great... we had such a good time."

According to Hamlin, his wife Lisa Rinna -- who finished fourth in last winter's second edition of Dancing with the Stars -- was the "Team Harry" member that was most upset about his elimination. "She was devastated, much more than I," Hamlin told Ripa and Martin. "I mean I accomplished most of my goals in doing the show and I got to know Ashley and Ashley was able to teach me so much about dancing, but Lisa wanted me to go further. She said you know you got to go in there and win the thing, she was really devastated."


Now that he's no longer in the running to win the show's third season title, Hamlin says he's rooting for retired NFL star Emmitt Smith to win the competition. "Well you know, look, the young guys are such good dancers and are so fun to watch, they're great performers but I got to tell you that Emmitt and I, you know I just love this man... he is so is the coolest dude ever and he's really trying hard. He's a really busy guy and he's got lots of things going on all the time, but he is like putting everything into it, so you never know."