Fresh off his elimination from ABC's Dancing With the Stars, talk show host Tavis Smiley is blaming lack of time rehearsing for his early exit.

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Smiley and his partner Sharna Burgess were the second couple eliminated on Dancing With the Stars this season. The political pundit suggested that not having enough time to rehearse his dances led to his elimination.

"Thanks to @sharnaburgess and the #DWTS fans for voting!" Smiley tweeted after his elimination. "Inspired dancing takes time. Sadly, on my MLK book tour, we just didn't have it."

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Smiley is currently promoting his new book Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year, chronicling the last year of the famous civil rights activist's life.

Smiley went on to praise Brugess again, saying he loved the opportunity to participate in the show. In a series of tweets, he wrote:

"I've also met a new friend for life, @sharnaburgess, and I just had a wonderful, wonderful #DWTS experience ... "To learn, to listen, to laugh, and to love - all of those things happened in this #DWTS experience ... I love the opportunity to do something I've never done before. #DWTS."

Smiley was the second elimination of the season after Olympian Lolo Jones, who was eliminated in the first week after a lackluster premiere performance.

There are 11 celebrities still in the competition on Dancing With the Stars. Next week they will be performing dances to various songs from the movies.

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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Dancing with the Stars, Reality TV, ABC