“Dancing with the Stars” will enter its Season 12 semifinal round next week, but the show will do so with one less pair of contenders.
Romeo and Chelsie Hightower were cut from the competition on Tuesday night, and although their elimination was unexpected, the rapper/actor said he was more than proud of their achievements.
“I’m surprised because [I had] one of my best dances last night, but at the same time I’m not surprised because the competition… anybody could go at any time,” Romeo said after learning the news. “We went out with a bang. That’s the most fun I had in my life yesterday.”
Romeo and Chelsie were given a standing ovation by the studio audience – including the judges, who also offered puzzled looks at the elimination news, especially as Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff had the lowest scores on Monday night.
Still, Romeo said performing on “Dancing with the Stars” over the course of the season affected him deeply.
“This show, it’s changed my life forever. People don’t know I was terrified of dancing. I didn’t dance at my own prom,” the young man said. “I turned down a lot of movies because I was terrified of dancing. Coming to this show and having a teacher like Chelsie, it definitely opened my eyes up and I think only bettered my future.”
Romeo said he hoped his dance floor moves helped inspire others to try something new.
“I think I showed kids, anything is possible if you try,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to try… Fall on your face a few times and get back up.
“I’m fearless now,” he added.
Next week’s semifinals will see stiff competition from the final four: Hines Ward and Kym Johnson; Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy; Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas; and Ralph and Karina.
In related “Dancing with the Stars” news, British singer Adele was forced to cut her performances on the results show down to just her hit single, “Rolling in the Deep,” as her voice was, as she put it, “knackered.”
Instead, with just one hour to rehearse before going live on ABC, fellow musical guest Delta Goodrem stepped in and served up a beautiful rendition of “Natural Woman” in Adele’s spot.
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.