DWTS Contestant Jeannie Mai Hospitalized and Forced to Exit Show — Here's Everything We Know
Television show host and "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Jeannie Mai has been forced to exit the show after being hospitalized for a potentially life-threatening inflammatory condition.
Television talk show host Jeannie Mai's "Dancing With The Stars" journey has come to an abrupt end after being hospitalized for a life-threatening condition and forced to leave the show.
The 41-year-old's hospitalization came after she was diagnosed with epiglottitis, an inflammatory condition that can be life-threatening. The condition causes swelling and the disruption of airflow to the lungs.
TV personality Jeannie Mai visits Hallmark's "Home & Family" at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 11, 2019. | Photo: Getty Images
Mai expressed her disappointment at leaving DWTS early in a statement to Good Morning America, confirming her hospitalization. She said she is heartbroken her journey on the show had to end now.
However, the favorite talk show host expressed pride in herself for how far she came on the show, and for the way she pushed herself to attain new limits physically and mentally.
Mai is right with the assertion that she has achieved physical and mental growth in the show. The television show host was competing alongside pro dancer Brandon Armstrong.
The dance couple was lucky to escape elimination last week with a Carrie Ann-Inaba tie-breaking vote keeping them on the show, eliminating Monica Aldama and her dance partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, instead.
Mama Mai had been watching and cheering her daughter's progress on the show and was rooting for her to win.
With Mai's departure now confirmed, only one contestant would be sent home in this week's episode of DWTS. Reacting to the development, DWTS said Mai had inspired everyone with her energy and dedication.
Some of Mai and Armstrong's dance performances include their daring rumba dance at the show's halfway point. Before the stunning performance, an emotional Mai shared the story of her family's escape from Vietnam.
On the October 12 "80s Night episode" of the show, the DWTS former contestant went full-on Madonna as she and Armstrong danced a Jazz to the hit Madonna song, "Like A Virgin."
In the video package that played before her and Armstrong's performance, Mai revealed it was her mother, Mama Mai, who introduced her to Madonna in the 1980s.
Mama Mai had been watching and cheering her daughter's progress on the show and was rooting for her to win the coveted Mirrorball trophy. The 61-year-old crashed an ET Zoom interview with her daughter to advise her on how to win DWTS.
Though Mai and her mother would be disappointed that she has been forced to leave the show early, they and their fans will hope that she recovers quickly from her ailment.