'Dancing With the Stars' Kicks Off Two-Night Finale as Another Contestant Gets Ejected

(Spoiler alert: Please do not read on if you haven’t watched Monday’s “Dancing With the Stars”)

And then there were four…

“Dancing With the Stars” began its two-night finale Monday with James Hinchcliffe, Calvin Johnson Jr., Laurie Hernandez and Jana Kramer competing for the Season 23 Mirror Ball.

To add even more pressure to the mix, the judges challenged the contestants to the max by deciding what style they performed in a “redemption” dance.

Country singer Kramer struggled with the critics’ choice and the freestyle dance that followed, leading the underdog to ultimately get ejected.

Also Read: 'Dancing With the Stars' Comes Down to the Wire With Semifinals Night (Video)

“I’ve learned so much about myself and what I can do and how strong I can really be,” she said when delivered the bad news. “It was so much fun.”

Earlier in the night, former NFL star Johnson tackled a Viennese Waltz, after which Len Goodman (recently returned from England) said he was the most-improved contestant in the finals. “You had the loving care of a true gentleman,” Bruno Tonioli added. “You are always so watchable.”

Megatron then got to prove what a good dad he is too, when his Minitron son Caleb ran out on stage to surprise him.

Before she got eliminated, Kramer tackled a tango after doing it injured in Week 2, but unfortunately pro partner Gleb got sick and struggled at rehearsals — and it showed. Julianne Hough said “she didn’t see the spark she was hoping for,” while the other judges debated if they should be penalized over their lift.

Also Read: 'Dancing With the Stars' Heads to Broadway With Guest Judge Idina Menzel (Video)

After dealing with the pressure of the show and her grandmother’s death last week, Olympic gymnast Hernandez raised the bar yet again with a paso doble that was “wicked in the best possible way,” according to Tonioli. “There was nothing in this dance I didn’t like,” Goodman praised.

IndyCar driver Hinchcliffe channeled his inner dorky geek to his sexy librarian pro partner, which allowed Goodman to deliver a cracking pun. “If you went to the library, got a dictionary and looked up ‘dance talent,’ you’d find a ‘James Hinchcliffe’ right there,” he said.

The Season 23 winner will be announced Tuesday night in a live broadcast from The Grove in Los Angeles.

Check out Johnson’s adorable reunion with his son in the video below.

“Dancing With the Stars” airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m.

'Dancing With the Stars' Career Bump: 12 Contestants Who Got Biggest Boost (Photos)

From Kim Kardashian to Alfonso Ribeiro, TheWrap takes a look at the celebrities who have gone on to bigger and better things.
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Kim Kardashian

When Kim Kardashian was on Season 7 of "Dancing With the Stars," "Keeping up With the Kardashians" was just a year old, but it went on to become one of the most successful franchises in reality TV history.
ABC
Mark Cuban

After his stint on Season 5 of "Dancing With the Stars," Cuban went from regular billionaire to famous billionaire when he became one of the investors on ABC's hit "Shark Tank."
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Julianne Hough/Derek Hough

"Dancing With the Stars'" most successful alums weren't even stars before they were on the show. Brother-sister duo Derek and Julianne Hough entered the show as professional dancers, but have since branched out into their own acting careers. Julianne also took on the role of judge on the show beginning with Season 19.
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Brooke Burke-Charvet

Brooke Burke-Charvet won the seventh season of ABC's reality competition series in 2008 then parlayed that success into a nine-season run as co-host of the show.
ABC
Erin Andrews

Like Burke-Chavert before her, Andrews went from "DWTS" alum to co-host when she assumed the role for Season 18. Andrews also assumed several new roles as a sportscaster for Fox Sports.
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Lisa Rinna

Daytime soap vet Lisa Rinna competed in the second season of "DWTS," finishing in fourth place. Since then, she's gone on to a fruitful reality TV career, including her role as one of the regulars on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
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Jennie Garth

"Beverly Hills, 90210" star Jennie Garth finished in fourth place on Season 5 of "DWTS," then went on to star in the CW's "90210" revival the following year.
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Candace Cameron Bure

"Full House" star took home the bronze in Season 18, then wrote a book about the experience, called "Dancing Through Life." She also serves as a host on the ABC daytime talk show "The View" and will star in the Netflix sequel series "Fuller House."
ABC
Melissa Joan Hart

In 2009, Melissa Joan Hart competed on Season 9 of "Dancing With the Stars," and in 2010 she made her return to TV in ABC Family's "Melissa and Joey" alongside Joey Lawrence (who also competed in Season 3).
ABC
Kellie Pickler

"American Idol" vet Kellie Pickler put her reality TV experience to use on Season 16, this time walking away a winner. In 2015, Pickler and her husband Kyle Jacobs scored a CMT reality series called "I Love Kellie Pickler."
ABC
Alfonso Ribeiro

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" alum Alfonso Ribeiro won Season 19 of "Dancing With the Stars," then went on to take over for Tom Bergeron as host of "America's Funniest Home Videos" in 2015.
ABC
Bobby Bones

The country-music radio host won Season 27 in fall 2018 despite landing the second lowest scores in the final 4 with partner Sharna Burgess -- and then parlayed that appearance into a full-time mentor role on ABC's "American Idol" reboot. He even subbed in as host in April 2019 when Ryan Seacrest was too sick to tape the live show.
ABC