Dancing With the Stars Reveals Most Surprising Elimination Yet

“This competition really is about a journey. I’m super bummed because I think Ciara was one of those people that was getting better every single week. I think it was noticeable,” Brandon said. “It was cut short, which is a bummer. But a lot of great competitors left. I loved every second I had with her.”

As for the leader board, there are a few couples who remain strong. 

Among them are Amber Glenn and Ezra Frech, partnered with married couple Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach, respectively, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson as well as Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy.

There were also a few couples who danced past even the judges’ expectations, including Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas.

 After performing their waltz, Carrie Ann told the pair that it was their best yet, as she scored them a 9—the first of the season.

“I got emotional watching you just because it was so good—the artistry in motion,” she said. “It’s like you transported me to another world, and I feel like right now the world needs that kind of beauty. I thought you were excellent.”

Derek called it “so exquisite, so beautiful,” while Bruno told the Love Island star that she has “royal poise.”

Carrie Ann also called Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa‘s Viennese waltz a “breakthrough” for the actress. 

But as the couples prepare to twirl into week five, during which they’ll perform Super Bowl-inspired dances, it’s still anybody’s game to win. 

For a closer look at the celebrity-pro pairings hoping to quickstep their way to the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, read on for more.