Dancing with the Stars contestant Victor Espinoza didn't exactly see his elimination coming Tuesday night.

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"I kind of was a little bit surprised. The show is not going to be as much fun without us," Espinoza told Good Morning America after last night's performance show on ABC.

Although fans didn't get to hear Karina Smirnoff's thoughts following the couple's Dancing with the Stars ouster, she took to her People blog shortly afterwards.

"There were definitely some tears Tuesday night after Victor and I found out we were eliminated, but I wasn't crying about losing the competition," Smirnoff wrote.

"Yes, Dancing with the Stars is a TV show, and you always have to keep that in mind, but at the end of the day what I'm the most sad about is that Vic and I won't be rehearsing every day together. What I'm going to miss most is going to the studio every day and seeing his face -- seeing him jump up and down and trying to joke with me."

Smirnoff said she's going to miss Espinoza's "vibrant spirit" and work ethic. He always tried to deliver his best for every show, and those are apparently the moments that made Season 21 "so precious" to her.

"Working in Hollywood, I get to meet a lot of stars and big personalities. But I rarely get the opportunity to actually meet the people behind those marquee names. I got to meet Vic the man. I got to learn what a huge heart he has and everything he does for others," the pro dancer explained.

"He is such a positive person who is always kind and grateful for everything. Vic is always saying, 'Life is too short. The most important this is to keep looking forward. Never look back. Everybody has dreams, but it's not the dreams -- it's the goals that matter.' And I totally agree."

Smirnoff said fancy costumes and judges' scores aside, the main point of Dancing with the Stars is the opportunity to make lifelong friends.

The next Dancing with the Stars episode airs Monday, September 28 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.