(Reporting and Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

Susan Lucci left “Dancing With The Stars” with class on Wednesday night, as she radiantly addressed the audience after she was voted off the ABC ballroom dancing show, following in the footsteps of another soap star from two seasons ago who also made it far in the competition.

“I just have to say I have had the most incredible experience here, I leave with a life experience, something I will never forget,” Lucci told the audience.  

The daytime star did not play up the drama when she was eliminated. There were no tears, and her last dance was to the tune of the Ray Charles song “Hit the Road Jack.”
 
It was like the end of a saga, as “La Lucci” was asked to leave after overcoming a crushing foot injury, some drama with her partner and grueling flights back and forth between New York and Los Angeles to keep working on her daytime show “All My Children” while also starring on “DWTS.”

And in a plot twist that could have sprung from daytime television, Lucci made it almost exactly as far as fellow “All My Children” star Cameron Mathison in Season No. 5. Mathison was eliminated eighth in that season, and Lucci was eliminated seventh, not counting
Olympic volleyball champion Misty May-Treanor who withdrew because of an injury.
 
Judge Len Goodman pointed out a fact many audience members could have missed during La Lucci’s run in the competition — that she is in her 60s. Lucci is actually 61 years-old, which after Cloris Leachman at 82 made Lucci season No. 7’s second-oldest competitor.
 
The judges had been hard on Lucci, but she earned her moments of praise. She also appeared to have a perfectionist streak. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba had La Lucci get up in front of the audience on Monday and exclaim, “I’m doing good.” In an interview segment that played on Wednesday, La Lucci started off by saying, “I think I’m good.”