‘Dancing With the Stars’ Semi-Finals Ends With Unbelievable Double Elimination

In advance of the Dancing With the Stars finale, two couples were sent home on Monday night. Like always, the judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli — shared their thoughts on who should be the ones to make it through to the finale. In a truly shocking elimination, Johnny Weir and Skai Jackson were sent home, alongside their respective partners, Britt Stewart and Alan Bersten.

This double-elimination comes one week after the show had one of their most shocking results yet. After a series of fantastic routines, Johnny Weir, and his partner, Britt Stewart, and AJ McLean, with his partner, Cheryl Burke, found themselves in the bottom two. The outcome came as a shock to everyone, including the judges, who were split in their decision. While Hough voted to keep McLean around, both Inaba and Tonioli voted to save Weir, meaning that the singer was sent home. Following their elimination, McLean and Burke spoke about their experience on the show and weren’t shy about their thoughts on their elimination.

“I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, to be honest, but tomorrow it’ll be an emotional hangover for sure,” McLean told Entertainment Tonight shortly after he was eliminated. The Backstreet Boys singer went on to share his appreciation for his partner, Burke. He added, “It’s been an absolutely gracious journey, and I’m grateful for every experience that I’ve endured with this amazing woman.” McLean couldn’t help explain just how much this DWTS journey has meant to him.

“I’ve always been one to bow out from whatever the situation is with ease and grace and with a lot of gratitude,” McLean continued “Honest to God, I’ve made a lot of great friends here, both on the stage and off the stage.” The singer continued, “It still sucks, it’s a major bummer, but there’s also kind of a sense of relief and calmness as well, because life goes on. And my wife has been holding down the fort like a trooper… because this is seven days a week, every week.” As for Burke, she couldn’t help but comment on the scoring on this season, saying that it has not been consistent.

“There’s rules in ballroom, and as far I’m concerned this is a ballroom show, I thought,” she said. She added that she feels that the way the other couples have been scored has not been “consistent.” Burke continued, “I already had his other two routines choreographed for the Semi-Finals. Normally I’m not that confident going in, but I was like, ‘For sure, there’s no way [we’ll get eliminated].’”