'DWTS' Pro Brandon Armstrong Says Winning Mirrorball Trophy Would Mean 'Everything' After Ciara Miller Elimination: 'Definitely Not Giving Up'

Dancing With the Stars pro Brandon Armstrong is determined to keep chasing his mirrorball trophy dreams after his partner, Ciara Miller, was eliminated from the competition.

During an exclusive interview with OK!, the professional dancer, 32, opens up about the emotional aftermath of the Summer House star's shocking exit, what he learned from their partnership and why winning the coveted prize would mean so much to him.

Miller, 30, and Armstrong were eliminated during Season 35's Mariah Carey Night on Tuesday, October 6, despite earning their highest score of the season with their jazz routine to "Emotions." The pair received 21 out of 30 points from judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, but the combined scores and viewer votes weren't enough to keep them in the competition.

"It's so hard because the celebrity gets one shot to be in the ballroom," Armstrong tells OK!. "I've been around for a while and hopefully will continue to be around, and so it's always so bittersweet. Well, it's actually not sweet at all. It's so bitter because you're kind of reliving this experience over and over again."

The dancer, who was also eliminated with his celebrity partner Lauren Jauregui last season before returning to the ballroom with Miller, admits he was disappointed to see their journey end.

"I thought Ciara was exactly that person. I still think Ciara is that person, to be honest," he says. "I think she had a great fan base, and I think she was getting better every night that we went out there."

Armstrong — who has been a pro on DWTS since 2018 — wishes viewers had seen more of the progress Miller made throughout the competition, explaining how she worked hard to improve despite entering the ballroom without extensive dance experience.

"I just hope the show can still be about the journey of people actually progressing and getting better, because that's what she was doing," he reflects. "I can tell you, as a professional dancer who sits there and watches technique all day long, she was truly developing. She was actually getting better."

Despite the disappointing outcome, Armstrong says Miller taught him a valuable lesson about authenticity.

"One of the most important things she taught me, or one of the things I observed from her the most, is that she's contagious in the sense that when she walks into a room, she's going to be who she is," he shares. "Ciara is who Ciara is."

The experience also gave Armstrong an opportunity to reflect on his own journey. Although he's spent years competing on the show, he has yet to take home the mirrorball trophy — something he hopes to one day change.

"Not to be cliché, but I think people see us as these pro dancers on TV who have all the confidence in the world," he notes. "But I struggle so much with self-worth and having confidence in myself."

Armstrong, who previously came close to winning the Season 33 of the competition with actress Chandler Kinney, says finally claiming the trophy would be an incredibly validating moment. The former pairing became the first Black partnership to reach the finale in the show's history before ultimately placing in third.

"Being able to finally scratch that off the list and say, 'Look, I belong. I was successful, the choreography was good, people fell in love, and we did it,' would mean everything," he confesses. "You climbed to the top of the mountain, and you're finally here. It's so validating."

The accomplishment would also mean a great deal to the people who supported his dancing career from the beginning.

"For me, it's even less about me and more about them," Armstrong says of his wife, Brylee, parents and other family members who invested time, energy and money into helping him pursue his dreams. "It's like, 'What you guys did and believed in was the truth. There was potential here.'"

And while Miller's elimination cut their journey short, Armstrong isn't ready to step away from the ballroom anytime soon.

When asked whether he would continue pursuing his Mirrorball dreams, the pro makes his intentions clear.

"Definitely not giving up," he declares. "I'll be around."