In Brief:
- Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were eliminated from "Dancing With the Stars" on Mariah Carey Night, Tuesday's live show.
- Their jazz routine to "Emotions" earned 21 out of 30, and the exit was the second shock elimination in a row.
- Cast members including Sharna Burgess, Tatyana Ali, and Rylee Arnold told Entertainment Weekly they were stunned.
Ciara Miller: The "Dancing With the Stars" cast did not see this one coming.
Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were sent home on Mariah Carey Night. Many of their fellow dancers said the result left them stunned.
The "Summer House" star and her pro partner opened Tuesday's live show.
They performed a jazz routine to Carey's "Emotions." The judges gave them 21 out of 30.
Pro dancer Sharna Burgess told Entertainment Weekly that she never expected Miller to be in danger.
She said the reaction backstage was loud. The whole cast gasped at once, she recalled.
Burgess said the cast is close. Everyone roots for each other, she explained, so no one wants to see a teammate leave.
She added that this exit was the one she least expected.
It was the second shock elimination in a row. Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart went home the week before.
Burgess described the mood during the results. The dancers stand together and hope their names are not called.
Nobody can predict the outcome, she said. When an unexpected pair goes home, it is hard to accept.
Tatyana Ali, who starred in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," said she was only starting to know Miller.
She told EW that the goodbye was hard. She also said Miller and Armstrong delivered their best dance of the season this week.
Ali's pro partner, Jan Ravnik, said he enjoyed watching the pair perform together. He told the outlet that the result caught him off guard.
Pro dancer Rylee Arnold said she was heartbroken. She described both Miller and Armstrong as positive people who are a joy to be around on set.
Arnold has known Armstrong her entire life. She had hoped this would be the season he finally won the Mirrorball trophy.
Arnold's partner, influencer Connor Wood, said he bonded with Miller during the competition.
The two helped each other manage nerves before taking the floor. Wood added that Armstrong helped him improve his form.
Wood called it painful to lose someone he sees as a teammate. He said the cast feels like a family.
That makes it easy to forget this is a competition, he explained, until elimination night reminds everyone.
"Dancing With the Stars" airs live Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
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