"You know, I feel good," Lachey said after the show. "Obviously no one wants to go home, that’s human nature, you'd love to still be in it. But I’m very, very, proud of the effort and I’m very proud of the journey.
"I have no regrets at all about my decision to do the show or anything else," he continued. "[Peta and I] worked as hard as possible. You just have to accept the results as they come."
Despite out-dancing the likes of seasoned performer Debbie Gibson this season, and making it to week seven, Lachey's self-doubt still was still evident. "I went into this thing knowing I wasn’t a good dancer and knowing that it was going to be an uphill climb," he told me. "Still, I’m very proud that we gave it our all and I’m proud that we got to this point."
With Lachey no longer a contender, the singer and reality show star is happy to return to the role of dad. "That’s been the toughest part of the show," he admitted. "Having two parents be so busy with the show, if there is a silver lining it is that I get to be a dad again and take the kids to school. My son especially will be very happy that I’m around more so I’m excited about that."
He’s now thrilled to sit on the sidelines cheering for wife Vanessa, who continues to power through her routines. (She scored an impressive 36 out of 40 for her intricate, musical-inspired quickstep on Monday's show). Nick told me it's now up to Vanessa (pictured above in red) to bring home the coveted mirror ball trophy.
"We’ve already cleared the space for the mirror ball," he said with a smile. ">