Ciara Miller Exits ‘Dancing With the Stars’ on Mariah Carey Night

Ciara Miller’s run on Dancing With the Stars ended during the show’s Mariah Carey-themed fourth week, despite a performance that placed her squarely in the middle of the judges’ leaderboard.

The Summer House personality and professional partner Brandon Armstrong performed a jazz routine to Carey’s “Emotions.” Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli awarded the pair 21 points out of 30. That score put them in a four-way tie for sixth place among the 12 remaining couples, but the combined judges’ scores and viewer vote did not carry them into week five.

A result the leaderboard did not predict

Miller and Armstrong were the first couple to dance, opening an episode filled with some of the season’s strongest scores. The early position may have made it harder for their routine to remain top of mind by the time voting closed, although the broadcast did not identify one reason for the result.

The elimination was notable because the pair did not finish at the bottom of the scoreboard. Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson received 15 points for their samba, while several other couples landed below Miller and Armstrong’s total. It marked a second consecutive week in which the departing contestant was not the lowest-scoring performer.

After the result, Miller thanked Armstrong and described the competition as a defining personal experience. Armstrong, in turn, emphasized the progress she had made across four weeks and said her improvement had become visible from one performance to the next.

Mariah Carey Night raises the stakes

The episode also produced the season’s first score of nine. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas earned 25 out of 30 for a waltz to “If It’s Over,” the highest total reported during the night. Other contenders, including Harry Shum Jr., Jenna Dewan and Paralympian Ezra Frech, remained near the top with 24-point routines.

With Miller and Armstrong gone, the remaining couples now move toward a Super Bowl-themed fifth week. The surprise exit leaves the competition with another reminder that a solid judges’ score offers no guarantee once the audience vote is added.