‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Kim Zolciak-Biermann Withdraws From Competition After Mini-Stroke
Kim Zolciak-Biermann has withdrawn from the competition.
— -- Following a mini-stroke, reality TV star Kim Zolciak-Biermann is officially out of the competition on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars," show co-host Tom Bergeron announced tonight during the program.
Zolciak-Biermann, 37, sustained the mini-stroke on Thursday and spent two days in the hospital.
She appeared live via video on the show tonight.
“I feel really great. I don’t know if you know but I rehearsed on Saturday,” she said, explaining that she practiced a routine for tonight’s show but was advised by doctors that she should not fly to Los Angeles.
“I can dance, I just can’t fly,” the former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star said. “I’m really sad.”
Her pro partner, Tony Dovolani, said he wished her well.
“I mean, the family comes first, health comes first. I am so happy she listened to the doctors,” he said.
Bergeron explained that the show’s rules require that in the event of a health-related matter affecting a participant’s ability to participate in the game, the participant must withdraw.
Elimination is determined through judges’ scores and votes from the viewing audience. The couple with the lowest combined score is usually sent home.
Andy Grammer and Paula Deen were both in jeopardy of going home tonight, but because Zolciak-Biermann had to withdraw, they were spared and no one was voted off.
Singer Chaka Khan and Triple Crown champion jockey Victor Espinoza have previously been eliminated.
The 10 competitors and their pro partners tonight had to do one routine for the TV Night theme, in which their dances were set to songs from iconic television shows including “The Golden Girls,” “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Alfonso Ribeiro, the show’s season 19 mirror ball champion and the new host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” was a guest judge. He joined the regular judging panel of Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Julianne Hough.This is the third week of the show’s 21st season.
Tonight’s Top Scorers: Nick Carter and Alexa PenaVega were tied for first place after receiving 36 points each. Carter and Sharna Burgess drew plaudits from the judges for their elegant Viennese Waltz set to the theme of “Downton Abbey,” while PenaVega and Mark Ballas delivered an innovative “Breaking Bad”-inspired jazz routine.
Tonight’s Scores
Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess: 36
Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas: 36
Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy: 33
Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold: 33
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough: 32
Hayes Grier and Emma Slater: 30
Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson: 31
Andy Grammer and Allison Holker: 29
Gary Busey and Anna Trebunskaya: 25
Paula Deen and Louis Van Amstel: 20