VIDEO: Maksim Chmerkovskiy Drops Kirstie Alley On 'DWTS'

Kirstie Alley has been one of the biggest surprises on Dancing With the Stars this season, and has impressed both judges and viewers since her debut three weeks ago. While some may be waiting for her to self-destruct, it was her professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy who faltered on Monday night when a sudden pain in his thigh caused Chmerkovskiy to drop Alley early into their dance. The duo quickly recovered, and despite the mistake they still managed to score a 21/30 for their rumba. They currently trail Hines Ward and Kym Johnson, and Petra Nemcova and Dmitry Chaplin, who tied for first place with 25 points.

Chmerkovskiy hopes to put this incident behind him. "It's sore. It's fine. It's not a pain that's going to stop me," he said of his thigh on Good Morning America Tuesday. The humble Maks explained that while he appreciates the concern, he doesn't want this misstep to overshadow the night's stellar performances. "What makes me most uncomfortable is that I want to be the backbone, but I want to be in the shadows. This talked-about moment takes away from Hines [Ward] and Petra [Nemcova] doing their incredible performances. Even from Kirstie. That's why I feel a little awkward." –EMILY EXTON

Watch the video of Maksim and Kirstie below:

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