Next Off “DWTS” on Week 6 Is…

Chaz Bono gets the boot; Hope Solo advances after partner’s emotional outburst

Chaz Bono couldn’t survive another week at the bottom of the leaderboard on “Dancing with the Stars.”

The transgender activist and author was voted off on week six – the halfway point – of ABC’s dancing competition.

Moments before being given the boot, Bono was shown in a confessional clip fuming for having been called a “cute little penguin trying to be a big menacing bird of prey” by judge Bruno Tonioli after Monday’s tango.

The same judge had referred to Bono as an ewok in an earlier week. Bono said he was “sick” of being likened as a “fat troll dancing with a beautiful woman every week.”

Bono's professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, had told the AP Monday that the judges, "always have their favorites, and this season it's completely clear who they are. I won't name names, but we are not one of them."

Despite the cheap shots, Bono called performing on “Dancing with the Stars” an “amazing journey.”

“I came on this show because wanted to show America a different kind of man,” he said after learning his fate.

As the first transgender contestant on "Dancing with the Stars," Bono's pop star mom Cher helped defend her son earlier this season against "stupid bigots" online. She also drummed up votes online and was shown tearing up in the ballroom while cheering on Bono in person on week four.

Despite frequently earning the lowest scores of the bunch, judges had praised Bono's charisma and heart.

Bono said Tuesday that he dedicated his “Dancing” accomplishments to “all the people out there like me.”

His exit spared U.S. soccer star Hope Solo from leaving the ballroom early, after having scored second from bottom on the leaderboard on Monday.

Solo and her pro-partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy also had harsh words for the show's judges.

Solo said she was "sick" of being told she wasn't sexy and "looked like a dude," one day after Chmerkovskiy lit up the blogosphere for lashing out at judge Len Goodman.  

Those advancing next week are: J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff, Ricki Lake & Derek Hough, Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus, David Arquette & Kym Johnson, and Rob Kardashian & Cheryl Burke.

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