Why DWTS’ Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas Saw Their Elimination Coming

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas put their best foot forward.

Despite consistently receiving some of the highest scores on Dancing With the Stars throughout the season, the couple was eliminated during the semifinals on November 18th. They were the last couple voted off before the finale, which they had anticipated.

After filming, Mark explained to Will Marfuggi from TopMob News that the team had a strong intuition about how things would go. “We knew, we felt it. I think we just had a feeling,” he said.

To which Whitney affirmed, “We had a gut feeling it was us.”

Despite feeling prepared, the star of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was still upset about being eliminated from the competition.

It’s really tough leaving, it feels like saying goodbye to close friends – especially the people I worked with on set, and of course, Mark. You spend so much time with everyone day after day, it’s hard not to feel like it’s a breakup. While I’m sad to go, I’m also incredibly grateful for the whole experience.

Plus, the 32-year-old wouldn’t change a thing about her experience.

I really pushed myself in every performance,” she explained. “Sometimes things happen that you can’t prevent, but I’m leaving knowing I did everything I could.

After the episode revealed which couples were eliminated—meaning Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, and Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy would advance to the finals—Whitney shared her thanks for being part of the show.

She shared onstage how much the show had impacted her, saying, “I feel like I’ve already won! This experience has truly changed my life, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything.”

Mark, who was excited to be back on the show after a few years, said, “I had the best time. I love this show.”

Whitney wasn’t the only contestant to say the show changed them. Andy Richter, who had been eliminated with his partner Emma Slater the week before, also talked about how Dancing With the Stars affected him.

Wow, hearing Andy talk after leaving the show really got to me. He said it completely changed his life, and he credited Emma with that transformation. He was so sincere when he said he wasn’t the same person he was before, and that none of his journey would have been possible without her. It was a bit surprising to hear him say she ‘knew how to use me,’ but it felt honest, like she really understood him and guided him – maybe even manipulated him – throughout the whole experience. It was a really powerful moment.

Want to revisit the celebrities who competed for the Mirrorball Trophy this season? Keep reading for a recap!