On Tuesday night, the first round of eliminations for Dancing With The Stars took place sending home the first couple.
After tallying all the votes and judges' scores, two couples landed at the bottom, leaving the decision up to the judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. The two couples that found themselves at the bottom were former NBA power forward Charles Oakley and his partner Emma Slater and Tiger King star Carole Baskin and her partner Pasha Pashkov.
In case you forgot, Oakley and Slater's first dance last week was a salsa set to 50 Cent's "In Da Club." Baskin and Pashkov kicked off their Dancing With The Stars run by performing a paso double to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," fittingly.
For their second week performance, Oakley and Slater did a cha-cha to Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much." Baskin and Pashkov continued to play off the former's love of large felines and did a Viennese waltz to Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat?"
After announcing all the couples that were safe, host Tyra Banks explained how the eliminations worked with whichever couple receiving votes from two judges would be saved and the other sent packing based on both their first and second dances. "This is when being a judge is very tough. I wanna encourage anyone who dares come on this ballroom dance floor and dance for us. Charles, I have so much respect for you. Carole, I have so much respect for you to daring to dance, but the couple I want to save, because they did better this week in their dance is Carole and Pasha," Inaba said.
Tonioli split the vote. "This is never easy. I am basing my judgement-put it this way-on the competition so far. You both improved this week, but I have to say Charles and Emma," Tonioli said.
After the conflicting decisions, Hough quickly offered his save to decide who would go home. He opted to save Baskin and Pashkov, eliminating the basketball star and his partner.
With Oakley and Slater gone, 14 couples remain in the competition including Baskin and Pashkov. The remaining pairs are below.
Baskin and Pashkov
Cheer star Monica Aldama and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintstev
Former NFL player Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd
The Real co-host Jeannie Mai and Brandon Armstrong
Actress Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe
Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke
Actress Skai Jackson and Alan Bersten
Figure skater Johnny Weir and Britt Stewart
Catfish host Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson
Actress Justina Machado and Sasha Farber
Singer Nelly and Daniella Karagach
Actress Chrishell Stause and Glebsavchenko
Actor Jesse Metcalfe and Sharna Burgess
Press contacts for ABC did not respond to Newsweek's emailed request for comment in time for publication.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
