Dancing with the Stars judges and fans were shocked Tuesday night when Maria Menounos and pro partner Derek Hough were sent packing in the elimination. The pair earned the highest scores this week, but failed to rake in more viewer votes than the other three couples.

"I learned so many things," Menounos said after her elimination "I learned how strong I was. I learned to persevere. We didn't know our dances yesterday until we got on the floor."

The 33-year-old also praised Hough for his “amazing talents and choreography."

"I loved loved loved dancing with this woman,” added Hough. “She's not just a champion of dancing, she's a champion of life.”

The three couples moving on to next week’s finals are: Katherine Jenkins and partner Mark Ballas, William Levy and partner Cheryl Burke, and Donald Driver and partner Peta Murgatroyd.

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