Matlin leaves 'Dancing with the Stars'

LOS ANGELES, April 23 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Marlee Matlin was voted off the celebrity reality TV show "Dancing with the Stars" after dancing the mambo with her partner Fabian Sanchez.

Matlin, 42, Tuesday became the sixth celebrity dancer to get the boot this season, despite the praise she regularly received from judges and fans, People reported. Dancing judge, Len Goodman, said Matlin's mambo performance was "off."

"All I can say is thank you to the judges ... I want to thank the magnificent Fabian for giving me the most beautiful art of dance in my life," Matlin, who is deaf, signed before she left the show.

Host Tom Bergeron reportedly was moved to break character as the show's co-presenter and address Matlin as a peer.

"Marlee and I have known each other for years, and I want to step outside the host role for a moment and tell you as a friend I'm so proud of you," Bergeron said.