Dancing With the Stars
Cristián de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke
Eliminated May 20

Are you sad you didn't win?
Cristián: Well, our goal was to be in the finals and when I had the accident, I thought that was it. Winning would have proved that to be in this competition you don't have to be the best to win, you need to fight for what you want. I haven't been the best dancer from the beginning but I never stopped working. I had the best teacher and am happy that we made it this far.
Cheryl: No one was going to beat Kristi.

Before Cristián hurt his arm, was there anything you could have done better throughout the competition?
Cheryl: We talked about making out, or him leaving me and going to make out with Carrie Ann. He'd leave me walk over and give her a big wet smooch on the lips.
Cristián: Well, she was my teacher and I have to do what she says. After that, I would have asked her if it was erotic!

Cheryl, we got to see you act one week in one of the clips. Did Cristián give you tips, and will you act again?
Cheryl: I hated it. I will never do that again. I was so nervous and I hated it, but he told me just to relax. Like I tell him to do every week. I have no desire to do it again, no way. I will just own a bunch of dance studios — how's that?
Cristián: But she did the whole scene in Spanish, which was good. And she was a really good student. I think I am a nicer teacher than her, so I'd give her an 11 for her performance.
Cheryl: Oh, right! I had one word: Sí.

What's next for you both?
Cristián: For me, surgery on Friday morning at 8:15 and then six weeks of recovery. So there is not a lot I can do and plan. I will have to see how all that evolves. Then hopefully a nice vacation and then back to work.
Cheryl: A vacation for me, too — I have been going for a while now and need a break.

How is your arm now?
Cristián: Okay, but now my neck is bothering me because I am tired and I haven't been sleeping well.
Cheryl: At this point, your whole body starts to break down. I am dying. The lifts were hard and all of the stress has gone to the right side of his body for the past few weeks. It's been a lot more challenging with the choreography. Especially for the freestyle, because we wanted to do the lifts, and we couldn't do all the big ones everyone else did because of the one arm. Still, we did our best.
Cristián: We tried everything we could, because I don't have three arms. But I am going to leave happy. I wanted to win for Cheryl and my family, but everyone thinks I already won.

Well you got "that close" to the trophy, too.
Cristián: I know, and I wanted to take it home. But in the beginning it was so far away, and when I got injured it seemed even further away. It was impossible to beat Kristi — she has been the best from the beginning. We all wanted to win, but she was the best and deserved to win.
Cheryl: She put in so much effort and improved, and is such a great, humble, person. But hey, I have two [wins], I'll give one to her.
Cristián: And then you will want it back? No, she deserves them both and she should keep them.
Cheryl: You can borrow one, then.