2 celebrities hang up their 'Dancing' shoes

[October 07, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Politician Tom DeLay and actress Debi Mazar have turned in their last dance. Both are leaving "Dancing With the Stars."

DeLay withdrew from the ABC dance-off Tuesday after being diagnosed with stress fractures in both feet, while Mazar was eliminated the traditional way: low scores and insufficient fan support.

Each performed the samba on Monday's show. DeLay earned 15 points out of 30 for his performance with partner Cheryl Burke. Mazar and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, finished with 17.

Viewer votes are combined with judges' scores to determine which contestant is eliminated each week.

Fan votes kept DeLay afloat, but doctors and show producers advised him to quit the competition because of his injuries.

"I want to dance no matter what," the 62-year-old former House Republican Whip said Monday, but he reconsidered on Tuesday.

Mazar said she struggled with the samba and missed a key step during Monday's performance. Judges said the dance lacked sizzle.

"It was neat and precise. But for me, it just didn't ignite," head judge Len Goodman said.

The 45-year-old actress said she "loved every moment" on the show.

"I definitely know a few more steps, and I've had a great time," Mazar said after learning her fate.

Queen Latifah and hip-hop dance group Jabbawockeez also performed on Tuesday's episode.

___

On the Net:

http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.