Although it wasn’t a double elimination like originally planned, the Monday, November 2, episode of Dancing With the Stars was still an intense one. At the top of the show, Kaitlyn Bristowe admitted to partner Artem Chigvintsev that she was really struggling after her low scores the week before.
“I feel like I’m never going to be good enough for what they hold me to,” the former Bachelorette, 35, said through tears during rehearsal. “Sometimes you just need a good cry.”
While she put on her best face for her dance, Carrie Ann Inaba was still not impressed. “I know last week was a tough week, but you came back with grace and energy. I’m a little torn right now,” she said, before saying that while it was one of her “best performances,” there was an issue with one of her flips — which Inaba thought was a lift.
That was only the start of the emotion during the night. Nelly dedicated his rumba to his late sister, who died in 2005. He danced to one of her favorite songs, “Nobody Knows” by The Tony Rich Project. While it wasn’t his best dance, the judges applauded him for showing a different, very emotional side and assured him that his sister would be very proud.
Later in the night, Jeannie Mai, who was forced to withdraw from the competition due to a throat abscess, emotionally spoke out from her hospital room ahead of getting emergency surgery. Following the operation, a doctor came in and told her if she had waited another day, her throat would have closed. The entire group — including host Tyra Banks — was in tears following her video.
The last solo dance of the night was AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke‘s rumba. During the package, he opened up about his battle with drugs and alcohol, which began while on set of 2001’s “The Call.” He revealed he doesn’t remember the next two years. Over the next 19 years, he made many trips to rehab and overdosed twice. Now, he’s been sober 11 months.
He last relapsed while in Las Vegas for a Backstreet Boys show. When he arrived home, everything changed. “My youngest daughter went to come cuddle with me and then she walked away from me and said, ‘You don’t smell like my daddy,'” he recalled. “My kid saved my life.”
After his dance, the singer became emotional and dedicated the dance to other addicts watching. “I know it’s hard but with a little courage, you can overcome,” he said through tears, while Burke, who has been sober for two years, hugged him.
When it came time for the group dances, Nev Schulman, Chrishell Stause and Nelly went first, dancing a cha-cha to Lady Gaga’s “Rain on Me.” Inaba voted this part of the contest, saying Nelly had the most improved cha-cha. She then had to rate each pair, giving them up to two bonus points: Nev received three, while both Chrishell and Nelly earned two each.
Next up was Justina Machado and Johnny Weir, who both had to perform a Viennese waltz to “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston, judged by Derek Hough. He gave three points to Johnny and two to Justina.
Lastly, AJ, Kaitlyn and Skai Jackson were given a samba to “Levitating” by Dua Lipa and were judged by Bruno Tonioli. AJ and Kaitlyn were each given three points while Skai was given two.
At the end of the night, Skai and Alan Bersten and Chrishell and Gleb Savchenko were in the bottom two. Ultimately, the Selling Sunset star was sent home.
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