'Dancing With the Stars' week 2: Tavis Smiley second celeb ousted (VIDEO)

The lesson from Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” elimination show: Don’t schedule a book tour during your tour of the dance floor.

Tavis Smiley, the talk-show host who always has a platitude at the ready, was the second celebrity eliminated from the show. On Monday, he performed a not-very-well-rehearsed routine with partner Sharna Burgess, and though he pulled it off, it was clear he was just following the leader and mimicking his partner. On Tuesday, he revealed that the two had had only about eight to 10 hours of practice.

He was, of course, philosophical about his departure.

“I do not live a life of regrets,” he said.

Spaz-tastic fashion designer Betsey Johnson was spared and wasn’t even in the bottom three this week. Instead, goofy race car driver Michael Waltrip, who looked supremely wounded to be back at the bottom for the second week, was joined at the “in jeopardy” camp by “Duck Dynasty” spawn Sadie Robertson.

I was as surprised as Robertson seemed to be that she was at the bottom. Despite a less-than-inspiring dance on Monday, I figured the “Duck Dynasty” contingency would vote her all the way to the end.

The evening also included the news that judge Len Goodman is taking a two-week break starting next week. His travels between Los Angeles and London, where he also judges “Strictly Come Dancing,” are taking a toll on him, and he needs some time off, he said.

And it contained one of the most bizarre things I’ve seen on network television in recent memory. Pop star Sia was there to sing her hit “Chandelier” live. But hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews informed viewers that she was choosing not to show her face so that all the attention could be focused on the dancers who were performing along with her.

Huh?

Viewers saw a woman standing backward in a blonde wig and a long trench coat. We were to assume she was Sia. Then they saw one of the show’s female pros pair with a young dancer from “Dance Moms” for a modern dance that I simply did not get. Were they sisters? Mother and daughter? Were they mostly upset about their dirty mattress? Or was the problem that the mom was sent back to school while the daughter got tangled in the curtains?

I’m confused, and Bergeron had trouble disguising his own skepticism when the whole thing was over.

Next week: The stars dance to movie themes.

This story was originally published September 23, 2014 at 8:51 PM with the headline "'Dancing With the Stars' week 2: Tavis Smiley second celeb ousted (VIDEO)."