Dancing With the Stars Backstage Scoop: Cast Dishes On Tonight's Shocking Elimination!

Behind the scenes scoop straight from the remaining contestants

It was an especially hard night on Dancing With the Stars as fans watched the shocking elimination of View host Sherri Sheperd. And when we caught up with the contestants after the show, it was only sober moods and sadness as they talked about the results. 

So what did they have to say about the early exit of this season's most sparkling personality? And what exactly happened to Melissa Gilbert during last night's performance that landed her in the hospital with a mild concussion and whiplash? We got the DWTS cast to spill...

Sherri didn't participate in the post show press due to a commitment to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but friend and fellow dancer Gladys Knight filled us in on how Sherri is handling the news.

"I talked to her. She's hurting right now," Gladys said. "Anybody that has to leave this family is going to be disappointed. It's unreal to say you wouldn't be. It's crazy. I don't get it. I can't be totally happy about [staying] because Sherri had to go."

Elimination is never fun, especially when it's unexpected. Although there can be only one winner, Derek Hough told us it is not easy to say goodbye after putting hours of hard work, dedication and leg work into such a demanding show and growing tight with fellow dancers. 

"It was very sad it see Sherri go," Derek told us. "When you rehearse seven, eight hours every single day for weeks and weeks and weeks, you really get attached to it and it's a special experience that no one can really understand unless you're in it, and it's really very sad."

Derek's partner, Maria Menounos, said nerves were running higher than usual after host Tom Bergeron tweeted that the elimination would be a huge jaw-dropper. 

"We were all nervous," Maria said. "I kept trying to tell everyone to be positive and not think about it and just enjoy the night, but in the back of all of our minds we were all thinking, 'What if it's me?' Sherri and I have gotten very close over this experience and she was the spirit of this competition. I was devastated, to be honest."

"Sherri was doing so well and I'm just shocked! I did not see that coming," Katherine Jenkins added. "I can't believe she's gone."

Noticeably absent from Tuesday night's show was Melissa Gilbert, whose head injury has temporarily put her on bed rest to recover from a mild concussion. We caught up with her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who explained what really happened during Monday night's performance. 

"She thought she hit the floor during the dance. I was adamant that she didn't because I know our routine and I know there is not a spot that I would allow that to happen," explains Maks, who accompanied Melissa to the hospital. "When I fell at the end, she said that is when it happened. Not to sound like a hero, but I sacrificed myself because I could have saved myself by letting her go. That's why I fell, by keeping her up."

 

He continues: "Today they showed that she took my leg out with her head. I thought I slipped on her dress and I couldn't understand why. I'm a big guy and her taking my leg out with her head must have been a big impact and it was very fast, that's why [she got] whiplash."

 

Yikes! Let's all keep fingers crossed next week isn't such a roller coaster of injury and emotion!