“DWTS” Cast Reacts to Mariah Carey Week Elimination

The 35^th season of “Dancing With the Stars” has been full of twists and unexpected eliminations that have left both contestants and fans stunned. During the Mariah Carey Week performances on October 6, the dancers came to win. At the end of the night, Alfonso Ribeiro announced that Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong had to go home. The couple was not at the bottom of the leaderboard, which shocked plenty of people, including contestants.

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“You should have heard us all backstage. The gasp that we gasped,” Sharna Burgess told Entertainment Weekly.

Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were first to dance, which may have been to their disadvantage when it comes to voting. If the at-home crowd waits until the end, the people who dance earlier in the episode might not get as much attention. The couple scored a 21 out of 30, but it unfortunately wasn’t enough.

“It’s just sad to see anyone go. We don’t want it to be us, but we don’t want it to be anyone. We genuinely support and love each other back here, and we want everyone to do well, and we root for everyone, so you don’t want anyone to go home. But I did not think it was going to be them,” Sharna said.

Ciara and Brandon spoke to “Entertainment Tonight” following the elimination, and Ciara was visibly heartbroken.

“I’m sad, obviously. I’m bummed,” she said. “I’m processing but bummed, to say the least.”

“People are voting for a million different reasons,” Brandon added. “Ultimately, they do tell you to vote for your favorite couple. It’s entertainment as much as it’s dance. So you feel bummed because you feel like you’re squeezing all the juice out of the lemon and it gets cut short, but it is what it is, and I wish it was different, obviously. But I’m proud of her.”

Ciara and Brandon’s fans immediately took to social media in support of their favorite couple. Hearing that made Ciara cry.

“I couldn’t even put into words what that means,” she said. “I’m glad that some people could see how special this partnership was. I’m grateful. I’m just sad. This is just sad. It’s something new. I loved this experience and this partnership and getting to do this, and I wanted to just continue on. It’s just sad.”

This story’s featured image is by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images