The outspoken actress and her professional partner, Corky Ballas, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition. The pair received the judges' lowest score - 15 out of 30 - for their cha-cha routine Monday. After viewer votes were combined with the judges' scores, the competition's oldest - and most spontaneous - performer was sent home.
"I'm not leaving," the 82-year-old Oscar-winning actress declared before she was dismissed.
"I'm afraid you are," host Tom Bergeron responded.
In recent weeks, the judges had been gunning for Leachman, who consistently received low scores but remained in the competition thanks to viewer votes. Carrie Ann Inaba told Leachman after her cha-cha Monday that she was sad singer Toni Braxton was eliminated last week instead of Leachman. The funnywoman seemed to let the comment roll off her back.
"I know you didn't mean what you said, and I love you," she told Inaba before she departed.
Julianne Hough was missing from the dance floor Tuesday. The 20-year-old professional dancer and country music singer who's partnered with actor Cody Linley, had surgery Tuesday to remove her appendix. Linley will be paired with professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska, who was previously partnered with comedian Jeffrey Ross, while Hough recuperates.
"Her operation went as planned," Linley said on the show. "She's at home and resting."
Other celebrities remaining in the competition include TV personality Brooke Burke, singer Lance Bass, former NFL star Warren Sapp, Olympian Maurice Greene and actress Susan Lucci.
Braxton, Ross, chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and actor Ted McGinley were previously dismissed. Olympian Misty May-Treanor dropped out of the competition after rupturing her tendon during a rehearsal.
---
ABC and 6abc are owned by The Walt Disney Co.
---
On the Net:
