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The glitter has settled, and the votes are in. Fans of “Dancing With The Stars” always eagerly anticipate the elimination nights, and week two of Season 23 delivered a notable departure. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, paired with the talented Emma Slater, became the second celebrity to be voted off the show. This early exit sparked conversations about his performance, his reasons for joining, and the overall dynamics of the competition.
Perry’s journey on “Dancing With The Stars” was relatively short-lived but captured attention from the start. Entering the competition, he openly acknowledged his lack of dance experience, even humorously admitting to having “two left feet.” His participation was driven by personal motivation – to learn to dance for his daughter’s upcoming wedding – and a desire to shine a spotlight on veterans’ issues. Despite his earnest efforts and upbeat attitude, his dance scores placed him at the lower end of the leaderboard.
On the Monday night performance show, Perry and Slater danced their hearts out but received a score of 23 out of 40. This score unfortunately tied him for the lowest score of the night with ’90s hip hop icon Vanilla Ice. The judges’ scores put both celebrities in a precarious position heading into Tuesday’s elimination round. Ultimately, the viewer votes combined with the judges’ scores resulted in Perry’s elimination. Vanilla Ice, despite also receiving low scores, managed to garner enough votes to stay in the competition for another week.
Despite being the one who got voted off “Dancing With The Stars” that week, Perry maintained a positive outlook. Upon learning his fate, he expressed no disappointment, instead focusing on the silver lining. He humorously remarked that his early departure ensured he would be ready to showcase his newly acquired dance moves at his daughter’s wedding in October. This comment underscored his initial goal for joining the show – personal improvement and family celebration.
Rick Perry’s time on “Dancing With The Stars,” though brief, provided viewers with an insight into his personality beyond politics. He embraced the challenge, displayed good humor in the face of criticism, and remained focused on his personal objectives. While his dance journey concluded sooner than he or his fans might have hoped, his participation served its purpose, bringing attention to causes he cared about and, as he promised, preparing him for a special dance floor moment at his daughter’s wedding. For fans wondering who got voted off “Dancing With The Stars” in week two of Season 23, the answer is Rick Perry, but his positive spirit and memorable performances left a lasting impression.
