Dancing With the Stars 8: And The Winner Is ...

Hey Y'all! Welcome back! This is the Final Results show for Dancing With the Stars 8 and tonight one of the three remaining couples will take home the Mirror Ball Trophy. Each couple danced once more for the judges and a winner named. That was about 15-20 minutes out of this 2 hour show. That means, yes, you guessed it ... more filler.

Just Dance was sung first by Lady GaGa. I've never heard of this chick, but she's awfully weird looking. Oh, I like this song, didn't know who sang it. You have to see her to believe it. She's just looking bizarre. Her costume has one leg, she has bleached blond hair or wig, short in front, long in back and a variation of the Kiss makeup on her face, it looks like.

If you missed last night's show, or the replay earlier, you can read my recap here. There was only a two point difference in the judges score from last night between all three couples. Tonight's dances were judged, but the viewer votes still count for 50%. Gilles and Melissa both chose dances that they already scored 30 on and Shawn chose a dance that she got a 28 on.

They did a recap on the first three weeks and the first three couples eliminated danced. Belinda/Jonathan did a Salsa, Denise/Maks did the Quickstep, and Holly/Dmitry danced a Samba. Tom announced that Samantha will be starring as Roxi Hart in Chicago on Broadway this summer. That surprised me. Didn't think she had it in her ...

The Woz/Karina were back doing the Quickstep. He's been practicing, lol. More recaps followed ... sigh. David/Kym followed with their Viennese Waltz. After his behavior and interviews when he got bounced, I'm surprised they invited him back. Steve-O/Lacey came next with their Foxtrot. He didn't fall on the step this time, aww. He looked good. Samantha called DAG on his interviews and asked about his experience and he kissed up to the judges. Hmm ...

After a recap of the Pick A Pro competition, Anna was announced as the winner, and guaranteed new pro. She then did an encore of her Quickstep with Maks. Loved it again. They look great together.

LT/Edyta re-danced their Jive. They showed Warren Sapp in the crowd cracking up, it was so funny. Chuck/Julianne did their Samba and yes, he wore his red satin pajamas .

Jeffery Ross was back with another roast. He wasn't funny last season, I don't know why they brought him back. He described the judges as Smokin', croakin' and flamin'. That was the only funny thing he said. He called the finalists The Underaged, The Un Wed, and the Unpronounceable. Like I said, he wasn't funny.

Then they recapped the end of the season. Lil Kim/Derek repeated their Jive with Derek trying to steal the trophy to Jailhouse Rock. And last, but not least, Ty/Chelsie did their Lindy Hop.

Finally, our three finalists were introduced. First up with the final dance is Shawn/Mark doing a Cha Cha. It actually looked like she enjoyed it more this time around. It was really cute, kept a smile on my face. Len said that, like an athlete, the longer Shawn went, the better she got. His problem in the past was her lack of performance, but tonight she brought it. Bruno said she was great. Carrie Ann said that in the last three weeks she's powered her way to the top and she belongs here. Scores: Three 10's for a perfect 30, and a three dance total of 88/90

Melissa/Tony went second with their Samba. Loved their Samba Roll. This was really one of my favorite dances, in part cuz I loved how it fit the music. Ha! At the end Tony kissed Bruno. Bruno said that it was more appetizing the second serving and said that she had a body made for dancing. Carrie Ann called her a muse of dance. Said she brought out the best in Tony. Len said that she had a presence. She mixed style, elegance with performance. Scores: Three 10's for 30 and three dance total of 86/90

Lastly, Gilles/Cheryl reprised their Argentine Tango. This was better than last time. They put a lift in there that I don't remember seeing the first time. Their hooks were clean and the passion was hot. Loved it. Carrie Ann said that he's a very special performer, brings a special artistry. Len said that they were the couple that brought him the most pleasure this season. Took him back 50 yrs with that tango. Bruno called it an Argentine Triumph ... A star is born ... and some other stuff that only Bruno could say. Scores: Three 10's for 30, three dance total of 88/90.

Judges leaderboard looks the same as last night:
Shawn/Mark - 88/90
Gilles/Cheryl - 88/90
Melissa/Tony - 86/90

Love Game performed by Lady GaGa. Now she has on this hot pink number, with a different blonde wig and better makeup. But she had a cane type thing with a mesh bathroom puff on the end. Strange woman. This song is weird, too. She wants to take a ride on your disco stick. Yeah, uh huh.

An hour and fifty minutes into the show and there is a commercial. We still had no clue who would win this thing. The third place couple was announced and it was Melissa/Tony. We just had a commercial and now they are sending us back to another one not 2 minutes later. Sheesh, finally. Tom said that there was less than 1% difference between 1st and 2nd place. The winners of Dancing With the Stars 8 are Shawn and Mark! Mark looks even more shocked than he did last year. Derek did his repeat of lifting Mark on his shoulder and Chuck finally lifted Shawn. On their way out the door, Tom said that they'd be back in September with Dancing With the Stars 9. So I'll catch y'all then.

Dancing With the Stars 8: The Finals

Hey y'all! Welcome back to the first part of the finale of Dancing With the Stars 8. We're down to the three best dancers, how will they do tonight in the Paso Face-Off and their Freestyles? The Freestyle has been known to make and break this thing wide open. After tonight's two performances, the viewers will vote. Tomorrow night they get another set of judges scores. Last year I thought there was an elimination before that last dance, but the way that Tom was talking, I'm not sure.

I'm quite excited. I was so looking forward to this Paso face-off. All three couples are capable of some seriously hot dancing. Melissa was in an Edyta-type costume, Shawn looked cute, but I like Cheryl's costume the least. It is white with orange and red flowery pattern, instead of the black/red or black/white combo. This week each judge visited individual competitors to give them tips. Bruno went to work with Shawn, Carrie Ann with Melissa and Len with Gilles. Bruno seemed to give Shawn some really good tips to help her paso pop. Carrie Ann surprised me and really helped Melissa with her aggression. Len also surprised me. He took off his suit coat and got down and dirty with Gilles to pull out the best in him.

They are doing the Paso to So What? I'm Still a Rock Star ... which seems like an odd song, but it seemed to work okay. It was a little distracting at times, though. Each couple takes a turn at a solo part and they come together at the end. Shawn/Mark were up first and they were really good. Shawn left it out there. She's come such a long way. Melissa and Tony were up next and they were good, too. They were much better than last time. Gilles/Cheryl brought up the rear and I think I liked it the least. I think it's because he seemed to me to be stiffer than the two pros. He had the disadvantage of being the only guy and following Tony and Mark. Don't get me wrong, all three Paso's were really good, and they are definitely all deserving of being here. Len told Shawn that this Paso was much better, he noticed one mistake in Melissa's but better than last time, and he told Gilles that this one was not hectic like he complained about last time. Bruno said each one was splendid. I don't know what else he went on about. He really complimented Melissa with her confidence and called Gilles a leading man. Carrie Ann said that all three were incredible dancers. She said that there wasn't as much of an emotional attachment with Shawn, but she did a great job and complimented the other two.

The scores were as follows:
Shawn/Mark - Two 9's and a from Bruno for 28/30
Melissa/Tony - Two 10's and a 9 from Len for 29/30
Gilles/Cheryl - Three 10's for a perfect 30/30

First up in the Freestyle is Shawn/Mark. Shawn said that they were not going to use excessive gymnastics because last time they got marked down. Apolo Anton Ono visited their practice to give her a pep talk. They are dressed in all black leather, including hoods and white sparkly masks and white gloves. I'm not liking the costumes. They soon stripped off the hoodies and pants and Mark revealed what is becoming his trademark look with the too short sparkly pants, bow tie and jacket. They both had on sparkly Chuck Taylors and she had on suspenders and lime green top to match his lime green sparkly jacket. It was such a cute, fun dance! A nice mix of dance and tricks. I loved that. Bruno said that they were going for the gold, and it was an explosive performance. Marvelous. Carrie Ann said it was youthful, energetic. Len loved the fun, speed, precision. He loved it. Scores: Three 10's for 30

Melissa/Tony are up next. Tony was disappointed the last time he was in the finals, and he's determined to leave everything on the dance floor this time. They are both in all black, he in a muscle shirt and she in sparkly bikini type top. Too much awkward looking hip hop and tricks for me and it didn't jive. It looked like she choreographed this instead of him, using her DCC background. A couple of the lifts were neat, but meh ... I was disappointed. Carrie Ann loved her new attitude, but thought the choreography was disjointed. Len said that she showed her versatility, but it was not his cup of tea. They went for the cheerleader/hip hop instead of the ballet, elegant type dance. Bruno also thought it was disjointed, not as perfect. The dance didn't flow from move to move, but from trick to trick. Scores: Three 9's for 27

The final Freestyle belongs to Gilles/Cheryl. They got the pimp spot, but did they do it proud? He had to call in a pain management specialist for his shoulder because of the lifts and tricks. He's very nervous. Another dance starting on a chair, but this one a la Flashdance. She choreographed a seriously sexy dance, one full of lifts. I was actually laughing at parts of it because it was so corny, though. Len said that it was slick, he loved the slow sexy part. Proved he's a real dancer. Bruno said great performance, but he wanted a bit more actual dancing. Carrie Ann found it an odd choice. Flashdance was for showcasing the female. She expected to see a whole lot more. I have to agree. Scores: Two 9's and a 10 from Len for 28.

The final leaderboard looks like this:
Shawn/Mark 28+30 for 58/60
Cheryl/Gilles 30+28 for 58/60
Melissa/Tony 29+27 for 56/60

What did you think of the night? I thought Shawn totally took the night, especially the Freestyle. I loved the Paso from all three couples, but felt really let down for the Freestyles. I felt robbed, especially by Melissa/Tony. I am a big Gilles fan, but based on tonight, Shawn wins it for me. Who will take the Mirror Ball Trophy as the winner of Dancing With the Stars 8? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Dancing With the Stars 8: It's the Semi-Finals and Lil Kim is Living in Gilles Pants

Hey y'all! It's week 10 of Dancing With the Stars 8 and, as last week showed, this is anyone's ballgame. I don't even know if tonight is necessary. It seems that the fans are gonna vote for whoever they fancy regardless of what they do on the dance floor. I'll try to curb my cynicism as I recap what happens. Tonight's show opened with three couples, Julianne, Dmitry, Karina, someone that looks like Chelsie, Louis, and Alec dancing a medley of dances to 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?'. Very cute and entertaining number. I wish Tom would introduce the dancers and not just the choreographer. Tonight is the semi-finals and our semifinalists were then introduced. Four couples, eight dances and two hours ... that means a lot of filler.

Before they danced, we looked back at the couple's breakthrough latin and ballroom dances. Up first was Melissa and Tony. We got to see basically the whole of their week three Foxtrot and their week nine Samba as they talked us through it. Then they were interviewed by Samantha and Tom. Gilles and Cheryl also picked their Foxtrot from week nine to review and critique and also their week five Paso Doble. Tom asked Gilles about Cheryl's 'crankiness' in their dance instruction and Gilles told him that that was the way he learned. Shawn and Mark chose the Week nine Quick Step and the week nine Paso Doble. Ty and Chelsie picked the week two Quick Step and the week four Lindy Hop. Hmm, I didn't know the Lindy Hop was a latin dance until tonight. Why couldn't this show be 90 minutes this week and skip this part?

Thirty minutes into the show, we finally get to the ballroom round. Melissa/Tony and their Quick Step were first. I wasn't crazy about the pattern of her dress, but they did look very classy in black and white. Their final swing move was very impressive. This dance was very nice. Len thought it had great musicality and her feet were much improved. Gorgeous. Bruno thought it was very good, but it wasn't as crispy and exhilarating as it should have been. Carrie Ann agreed with Bruno that it was very nice and pretty, but she didn't feel the connection. Backstage, Samantha tried to create drama with a stupid question about how they felt when they wanted to repeat last week but had to take the criticism from the judges that they just did. They sidestepped her very well. Scores: Two 9's and a 10 from Len for 28/30.

Gilles/Cheryl got the Waltz for the ballroom round. Cheryl brought Jonathan Roberts in to help Gilles with his sophistication, frame and polish. Her dress was a beautiful white frothy number. This dance was so beautiful and elegant. He was going for sophisticated, but I still saw a broody latin lover. He just can't tone down the sexiness. His carriage looked better and I did see some rise and fall in his movement. Bruno said that that was the way to start his way into the finals. Unbelievable, beautiful, then he went off on one of his ramblings. Carrie Ann said that this dance was breathtaking, complimented Cheryl on choreography and Len said that he was giving them a sitting down standing ovation. Scores: Three 10's for 30/30, their first since week four.

Shawn/Mark performed the Argentine Tango. Okay, the beginning reminded me of their Paso with their characterizations. I didn't like Shawn's costume, it wasn't flattering, but the dance was very cool. Their first lift was wonderful and their hooks look really good. In fact, I loved all of their lifts. Carrie Ann said that she worried that Shawn wouldn't be able to deliver the emotion required, but she didn't need to worry because they delivered. Len said that they showed the maturity and intensity. Honestly their best performance. Bruno called her Catherine Zita Shawn. He was very complimentary. Scores: Three 10's for 30/30, their first of the competition.

Wrapping up the ballroom round was Ty/Chelsie performing the Viennese Waltz. In their practice video, they concentrated on showing Ty's personality as a justification for their being here. Chelsie looked beautiful dancing, even though I really didn't like that white top and belt with that aqua dress. Ty's frame was about perfect, as usual, and they looked very nice. I saw a bobble almost at the end, but I enjoyed the dance very much. Len complimented Ty on his hard work and mentioned the issues of the dance, but overall thought it was fabulous. Bruno wasn't nearly as complimentary (which means that Ty will make the finals because he was mean) and Carrie Ann mentioned how he can generate support, but it was not his best dance and there were some wobbles. The judges really had a three way spat over the comments with Len playing defender. Well the judges once again probably helped mobilize Ty's 'Army' ... sigh. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 for 25/30.

After the ballroom round, the leaderboard looks like this:
Gilles/Cheryl - 30/30
Shawn/Mark - 30/30
Melissa/Tony - 28/30
Ty/Chelsie - 25/30

Before the latin round, we saw hometown background filler on each competitor. I'm not gonna recap that and hopefully it will be over soon. For Melissa they focused on her prior dance experience, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and The Bachelor. Yes, I rolled my eyes when they blathered on about The Bachelor fiasco.

Melissa/Tony did a very cool looking Cha Cha. She did not forget what she learned about shaking her hips and her boobies, though, lol. That last swing was awesome. I loved this dance. Bruno said that at times it was fabulous, but not all the way through. They didn't sustain te energy throughout the entire dance. Carrie Ann thanked her for listening and acting on criticism. The connection was there, but there were some footwork issues. Len liked it, but not as much as he wanted to. At times, it was lackluster. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30 and a 55/60 for the night.

Next we visited Cannes, France to do the background for Gilles. They focused on him getting his work ethic from his dad, then touched on his modeling background to earn money for his family. Gilles/ Cheryl got the Salsa, and dang that man can move his hips. I loved their orchid costumes and their dance. I had a smile on my face all the way through. Carrie Ann gave them a standing ovation with her little fly girl move. Gilles Marini at his best, she said. Len said that he was almost speechless, he wishes he had an 11 paddle. Bruno said that Lil Kim was alive and well and living in Gilles pants. Um, I'm speechless on that one. Both Bruno and Carrie Ann said that he deserved to be in the Finale. Scores: Three 10's for another 30/30 and 60/60 for the night.

Off to Iowa to do the background on Shawn. Of course the focus is on her gymnastics and how it's shaped her. Shawn/Mark's second dance tonight was the Jive. It was adorable, and Mark had on what's becoming his trademark, too short pants, with shiny socks. I smiled all the way through. It was such a fun dance to watch. Len began by complimenting the house band, and thought the dance was fun, but there was too much messing about dancing, not enough jive. Bruno sid he likes it when she goes wild. He saw a lot of Lindy Hop in the Jive though. Carrie Ann said that it seemed like they lost a little steam towards the end, but she liked it. Scores: Two 9's and a 8 from Len for a 26/30 and a total of 56/60. Wow, I definitely didn't see that 8 coming. And I really disagree with her getting an 8 when they gave Ty an 8.

Back to Texas, this time for the background on Ty. In comparison to the glamour and glitz we saw with Melissa, we saw the rodeo this time. Ty/Chelsie's final dance was the samba. Chelsie was her regular bouncy, dshaking self. He was his usual stiff self. I don't think he even attempted to shake except in that one little solo thing he did.. I enjoyed watching her, but not him. Bruno said that he has resilience and determination, he made a great effort. Carrie Ann voted him MVP of season 8, did not comment at all on this dance. Len said that in ballroom he's Arthur Murray, but in latin he's Murray in a hurry. He did compliment Chelsie on what she's been able to accomplish with him. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 from Len for 23/30 and 48/60 for the night. They gave him 8's after either not commenting on the dance, or giving lukewarm compliments on his effort, but gave Shawn an 8 for that fun Jive. Right.

The final leaderboard looks like this:
Gilles/Cheryl - 30+30 for 60/60
Shawn/Mark - 30+26 for 56/60
Melissa/Tony - 28+27 for 55/60
Ty/Chelsie - 25+23 for 48/60

What should happen is that Ty should be eliminated. What will happen? Hey, with his fans, anything can happen. Nothing against Ty, and he's certainly come a long way, but it will truly suck if he makes it to the final. What did you think of Semi-Final night on Dancing With the Stars 8? I mean the dancing, not the hour of filler. Did you agree with the scoring? What do you think tomorrow will bring? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 9 Results Show and Round 3 of Pick a Pro

Hey y'all! Tonight was the Week 9 results show and Round 3 of the Pick a Pro competition. Would our favorites make the cut or would tonight be another 'shocking' elimination? To start of the evening, Melissa and Tony reprised their perfect 30 Samba. And it was just as good tonight as it was last night. That Samba took them to the top of the leaderboard, but two couples were only one point behind. At this point, they recapped last night's show. If you missed it, read the recap here. I'm excited about tonight. DanceCenter returns! That segment cracks me up.

First performance is of a Frank Sinatra hit, 'I Get a Kick Out of You', by Jamie Cullum. I don't know who these two pros are dancing, but they are good. Looks like a Quick Step, and yep, it's quick, but very glamourous looking. That was a wonderful performance.

DanceCenter time with returns with Jerry Rice, Kenny Mayne, and Len. Both Jerry and Kenny had some kind of sparkly tatoo things on the side of their faces and Jerry was shirtless with a tux collar and tie. First to be dissected was Ty. Kenny says that Ty is 7'8", and he's glad they are celebrating a bad dancer, but Len disagrees. They are talking about how he is fully committed to the show. Lil Kim was next and described as lil. Len said that she was the ultimate performer, but was then cut off. Jerry said that she has one one major ASSet and knows how to use it. Shawn was called lil'er than Lil Kim. Len cut off again when he was trying to analyze her and told that they didn't want to hear his mumbo jumbo. Video footage shows Mark turning into a chipmunk. The last two contestants were to be talked about later. For some reason, this wasn't as funny as it usually is.

Next some results. In no particular order, the first couple moving on to the semifinals is Gilles/Cheryl. He was excited, I think. He jumped straight up and shouted Yes!

Then DanceCenter was back. Melissa was described as pretty. I I thought they were gonna slam Jason talking about her public humiliation, but they were talking about Tony, lol. They showed practice video and showed him laughing when she got hurt. They do some serious video manipulation, lol. They complimented her jive and said that it wins the award for the best use of denim. Gilles was described in French. Kenny totally dissed the French and Len corrected him. Oh Yum, love the video ... called Gilles 'Sex on a Stick'. Back in the studeo after the video clip, hahaha, all three guys shirtless to make fun of Gilles. Kenny needs a tan, and Len ... uh yeah. Now this was DanceCenter!

Macy's Stars of Dance performance ... Largest ever seen. Acrobatic dancers with a large star shaped structure as a centerpiece that they danced on and around. to Coldplay's 'Vida la Vida'. Very cool performance, back to the Macy's Stars of Dance that I love. Unfortunately, they never said the name of the performing group, only the choreographers.

The first couple in our Pick a Pro competition was next. Afton, paired with Cody Lindley, got a Samba. Cody compared Afton to Julianne and they showed how busy he was with Hannah Montana. He hasn't lost his hyper-ness. Once again the house band massacres a song, this time a Shakira song. That Afton can shake her stuff. That was a pretty good performance, very fun to watch. Another royal blue costume, between last night and tonight it was a blue parade. Len complimented Afton on her teaching and choreography. Bruno said that she got Cody to sell himself, and Carrie Ann said that she brought it up a notch.

The next couple going on to the semifinals is Melissa/Tony.

Mayo and Lisa Rinna were next in our Pick a Pro competition. There is a seven inch height difference and Lisa said that she had to get used to it. They did a Quickstep in black and gold. she had on a beautiful gold dress with orange and red. That was pretty good. I thought it suffered because we saw that quickstep pro couple at the beginning. Bruno said that Mayo made the most of Lisa's assets, Carrie Ann complimented him, but said that they got out of control, and Len said that they did a good job. Oh and I did see Omarosa sitting behind Harry Hamlin. I'm thinking that even if Mayo doesn't win, he'll be back because Carrie Ann said that he'd be great for the taller female celebrities.

Anna was up last with Maurice Greene doing a Tango. My Banty Rooster was back! For some reason, Maurice picked a dance that he hadn't done before. He said it was because he wanted to see how good a teacher she really was. This is going to be a challenge. Wow, he looks great doing this, I'm loving it. She did a great job with him. This was my favorite. Carrie Ann loved it, said Afton brought something out in Maurice, wonderful performance. Len said that she got the most out of her celeb. Bruno called her a miracle worker, said that Maurice never looked better. Next week the final two will be paired with a current pro and will have to choreograph both a latin and a ballroom dance.

Now the last three couples will hear their results. Moving on the the semis will be Shawn/Mark, which left Lil Kim/Derek and Ty/Chelsie. Tom made a point of telling them that they were in the bottom two. After five minutes of commercials, tom told Lil Kim/Derek that they were eliminated. Wow. The audience was in shock, very quiet. This was what I was afraid of last night ... Derek was full of praise for her and the looks on the faces of the remaining dancers was very telling. Mark looked devastated. This ending was bad.

Okay, y'all. I know we talked about how this could happen, but were you surprised? What will this mean for next week on Dancing With the Stars 8? Will the rodeo crowd continue to vote on something other than dancing ability? Will the judges make sure that Ty's scores are so low that he cannot win, regardless of his 'Army'? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Dancing With the Stars 8: The Return of the Bionic Booty and the Latin Lover

Hey y'all! I'm back! Didya miss me? Last week we saw what they called the 'shocking' elimination of Chuck/Julianne from Dancing With the Stars 8. And controversy abounds when the subject of Melissa and her injury comes up. All over the web I read pros and cons about her continuing and how unfair it was that she's still there when she didn't dance. Chuck started to say something about it last week on the show, and then the peanut gallery weighed in. Jewel wrote on both her MySpace page and Ty's rodeo blog that she felt that it was unfair and that in rodeo if you didn't ride, you didn't get a score. Hey, Jewel, btw, this isn't the rodeo and even if Melissa was eliminated, I don't think your man would win.

Tonight the stars performed two complete dances and perform a solo during the Latin round. They are all banged up, how would they do? The show opened with Jonathan, Dmitry, Louis, Kym, Lacey and Anna doing a medley of ballroom dances. Now that's the way to start off a show! That was really fun to watch.

Once again we heard Len say that they were going to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In this ballroom round, the judges will key on Melissa's footwork, the balance between emotion and technique from Gilles, the elegance from Lil Kim, posture from Shawn and flair from Ty.

The first couple to take the floor was Shawn/Mark doing the Quick Step. Shawn had a really rough time during their practice video. But their dance was really fun to watch! She was pretty in blue and they looked like they had a blast. They got a standing o from the crowd. Len said it was fun, joyful and carefree, finally got to see her personality. But they broke their hold in the middle of the dance, which is a no-no. Bruno said that Shawn danced like Sporty Spice, was great fun. Carrie Ann said that this was her best dance ever, but she has to take a point off because they broke the rule (the hold, I guess). Scores: Three 9's for 27/30.

Next, Ty/Chelsie were up with their Argentine Tango. They definitely made the most out of being able to do lifts. This was very cool, I really liked it. Bruno said that Ty won't let anyone down with his strength and determination, but the Argentine Tango needs a bit more subltety. Carrie Ann commended Ty for his progress, but said it was a little stiff, saw a mistake on the hooks. Len said that they captured the essence of the dance, it was their best dance. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 from Len for 25/30.

Lil Kim/Derek have the Waltz for the ballroom round. So far they win the worst musical accompaniment . This singer was awful. I wasn't loving this, something was off. I may have been distracted trying to cover my ears though. Carrie Ann gave lots of constructive criticism and saw mistakes, said it wasn't her best. Len said that the Waltz is challenging, he saw some missteps, but he was shocked by the quality of the dance. Bruno said that she was trying to be a lady, but she's better being a tramp. He didn't see her being comfortable with the dance, arm extensions and missteps. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 from Len for 25/30.

Len is on new meds and it's making him very pleasant and less critical, lol. Oops, spoke too soon ...

Gilles/Cheryl danced the Foxtrot. Oh my, he looked very debonaire, very smooth. Haha, he threw Carrie Ann a kiss during the dance. I liked that, he did a good job, got a standing o. Len said that he couldn't help but enjoy the performance, from the music to the dance, but the rise and falls were lacking. He never stretched. Bruno said that it was in a class of its' own as a performance. sophisticated yet elegant. Carrie Ann told Len that he was crazy, performances like this would carry Gilles to the semis. He finished every line, did a great job. Scores: Two 10's and a 9 from Len for 29/30 as a birthday present for Cheryl, I think.

Aww man, I thought we were about halfway through the show, but it's back to 2 hours instead of 90 minutes. And I think the extra 30 minutes will be commercials. There've been enough of them after each dance.

Melissa is back from her injury, she's getting a new treatment and she says that it's manageable. She and Tony have the Viennese Waltz first. She looks absolutely beautiful. The dance was gorgeous, they glided across the dance floor. Bruno said that she was a vision, lighter than air. He called it beautiful and romantic, very balletic. Carrie Ann needed to see more torque in her upper body, but it was beautiful. Len complimented her all out, but said that he's still not a fan of her feet. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

At the end of the ballroom round, the Leaderboard looks like this:
Gilles/Cheryl - 29
Shawn/Mark and Melissa/Tony - 27
Ty/Chelsie and Lil Kim/Derek - 25
My thoughts were that ballroom would favor Shawn, Ty and Melissa, but I expected Gilles and Lil Kim to shine in their latin dances. Gilles did much better than I expected in ballroom.

Last week Genya Mazo was eliminated from the Pick a Pro competition. This week, each of the remaining pros have to teach a dance to a celeb from a previous season. Afton got Cody Linley, Anna got Maurice Green, and Mayo got Lisa Rinna for their 'Star' partners for this week's test. Tomorrow night we'll see how each prospective pro can bring out the best in their celeb.

Then our pros from earlier were back to demonstrate a medly of Latin dances. I could watch these six for hours. Of course Dmitry couldn't keep his shirt fastened all night, and had to sport an open shirt. They looked great in their royal blue, but I thought the music was kind of different.

In the Latin round, the judges expect a party out of Melissa and sex appeal, they want smooth and less hectic from Gilles, Len is scared to see Ty, Bruno wants hip action. He wants aggression and bold from Shawn, cute doesn't cut it. Len wants to be stung by the queen b, Lil Kim. They are all most excited to see Lil Kim. Basically, they gave her the round and 10's before the round began. Each of the stars are also expected to have a solo of at least 15 seconds in their routines.

Shawn/Mark are up first with their Paso Doble. You go, girl! I liked this much more than I expected to. Very entertaining and fun to watch. Very sharp and well done. The audience loved it. Carrie Ann said that it was a difficult song to do a paso to but she nailed it! Len liked the solo part, it was clean and precise but it wasn't over exciting. Bruno said that Shawn showed them tonight that she had the killer instinct, she scored big. Scores: Two 10's and a 9 from Len for 29/30 for this dance and a total of 56/60 for the night.

Ty/Chelsie are next up with the Rumba. Chelsie is so cute. She made me smile during their practice video. They know that Gilles also has a rumba, so they feel extra pressure. Okay, I was cracking up watching Ty try to swivel his hips. He had the pageant smile pasted on his face, looked very fake. At the end he swiveled his hips and gave a big kiss to his wife. I laughed out loud. Len thought the solo was sweet and had charm and saw hip action, but in his first dance he was a peacock and in this dance he was a feather duster. Bruno said that Ty is one of the most likeable contestants and compared him in this dance to Kenny Mayne, versus Mario Lopez. Carrie Ann said that the dance was a little wooden, but his solo was very creative (the swivel and kiss to his wife). Her comments made it very plain that she didn't think that he should move on. His fans will be dialing their fingers off again this week since both Bruno and Carrie Ann were mean to him. I bet the comments on his blog will be blowing up in a couple of hours. A thousand commercials later, okay so I exaggerated a little bit, they got their scores. Scores: Three 7's for 21/30 for this dance and a total of 46/60. Ty commented that his solo didn't get him great scores from the judges, but he hopes he'll score later, lol.

Lil Kim/Derek danced the salsa. Dang, in their practice video, she looked so trashy doing a solo part. She was so excited to bring back her bionic booty. Imagine me rolling my eyes here. It was fun to watch and had a share of tricks, but personally it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I'm sorry, but you can be hot with class. Bruno went off on one of his tangents, he said her booty could do no wrong, but he did see a mistake. Carrie Ann said that she's never seen a booty move like that. She said that her solo was out of control. Len called the dance delicious, but also remarked that the solo lost a little bit of control. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30 and 52/60 total.

Gilles/Cheryl are back with a Rumba and Cheryl demanded that he bring back the Latin Lover. Their practice video was hot. That man can move his hips. He started his dance with his solo and other than the hip movement, it was very strange. The dance itself was very hot. I loved it. Oh dang, they rolled on the floor on top of each other at the end. Whew. His wife had a big ole grin on her face. Carrie Ann said that it was very hot, but thought the solo was overindulgent. Len said that it looked fantastic in the studio, but he did make a comment about not liking the solo or the roll on the floor. I don't have a clue what Bruno went on about, actually, but at the end said that it was very good. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30 and 56/60 for the night, tieing him with Shawn for the top of the leaderboard.

The final dance of the night featured Melissa/Tony with their Samba. In practice, she was very nervous about her solo. I thought she did it very well, actually. I love Tony more every week. I had a smile on my face through the entire dance. It was so much fun to watch! Len said that tonight was all about who deserved to move on and she 100% should be here next week. Bruno said that her samba had everything anyone could want, he was happy to be here watching it. Carrie Ann said that she felt that she had to point out the flaws to give them something to work on for next week. Then she said for them to take the week off because the dance was flawless! Scores: Three 10's for a perfect 30/30 and 57/60 for the night to take over the top spot.

This was a long show, but very entertaining beginning to end. The night ended with Melissa/Tony at the top of the leaderboard and Ty/Chelsie bringing up the rear. Only one point seperates Melissa, Gilles and Shawn.

The Leaderboard looks like this:
Melissa/Tony - 57/60
Shawn/Mark - 56/60
Gilles/Cheryl - 56/60
Lil Kim/Derek - 52/60
Ty/Chelsie - 46/60

Who do you think deserves to go home? I really do think Ty does, but will the comments from the judges spur his fans to a frenzy of voting again this week? And if they pull through, who will go home in his place? We'll find out tomorrow night on Dancing With the Stars 8. Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 7 Results Show and Pick A Pro Round 1

Tonight on Dancing With the Stars 8, the Group Dance is the Encore Performance tonight. I wasn't very thrilled to hear that, but it was actually a little better tonight and Chuck lost that stupid blonde wig. After the dance, they of did a recap of last night. During the recap, they showed Melissa injuring, or re injuring her rib during practice. Poor girl looked like she was really hurting.

The first musical performance was Natasha Bedingfield singing 'Soulmate' and Lacey and Dmitry doing a beautiful contemporary looking dance. I wasn't crazy about the song, but it's whatever. Tom didn't introduce the dancers until after the dance, but Lacey has a unique look and Dmitry I identified by his open shirt, hahaha. Then a group of International Ballroom Champs, opening on Broadway, calling themselves Burn the Floor performed next. That was wonderful! I'd go catch their show in a hot minute!

In backstage interviews, Samantha let it out that next week, in addition to their individual dance, the stars and their partners will be participating in the Team Dance. There will be Team Mambo and Team Tango. Then, in no particular order, the first three couples told that they were safe were Chuck/Julianne, Melissa/Tony and Shawn/Mark.

The Pick a Pro competition was introduced next. Six dancers will compete for one spot for next season. The kids are dancing in pairs tonight, but are actually competing against each other. Each dancer will have a unique telephone number. The judges will give comments, but not score. Only thing that matters is the viewers votes. After this week's votes, the bottom male and the bottom female will be eliminated.

Afton DelGrosso and Brent Borbon were up first with a Cha Cha. I remember her sister, Ashley, who used to be a pro on this show. I loved her. These two are comfortable with each other because they danced together in Le Reve. Ooh, I liked that dance! Very flashy and energetic. I don't like her as much as I liked her sister, but those are two very talented dancers. Anna Demidova and Mayo Alanen were up next. They are friends, but have never danced together. Tonight they did a waltz. That was beautiful, oh my. He sort of reminded me of Louis while he was dancing. That was the most beautiful waltz. It's going to be tough for me to pick a favorite. Snow Urbin and Genya Mazo were the last two to dance and they got the Rumba. Genya is not as manly looking to me as his brother, Alec, is, but he dances manly like Alec. Snow is another So You Think You Can Dance alumnae, so she may have a leg up on the competition as far as fan base. Heck, I won't be able to vote this week, because I don't have a favorite yet and they all looked terrific.

Next up was Celtic Woman with a Show Dance Champion couple. I absolutely love Celtic Woman and catch them as many times as I can on PBS and this song, 'You Raise Me Up', gives me chills whenever they sing it. The dance fit perfectly and was beautifully performed. Wow, they ended that dance with him leaning backwards and her standing on his chest. That looked gorgeous and sounded gorgeous.

Finally, back to the eliminations. In no particular order, Lil Kim/Derek and Gilles/Cheryl were told that they were safe. Ty/Chelsie and LT/Edyta weren't necessarily the bottom two, but tonight LT/Edyta were the lowest and were eliminated. To tell the truth, LT had the biggest grin on his face and promptly set up a tee time on the golf course in Miami. He was very gracious and appreciative to TPTB and Edyta.

Next week on Dancing With the Stars 8, the couples will have two dances judged, their individual dances and the team dance. How will that affect the leaderboard? Last season, remember, that team dance really shook things up. What did you think of the show tonight? I enjoyed the extraneous performances more tonight than I have in a while, especially more than last week. What say you? Comment below

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 6 Results Show

Tonight is the week 6 Dancing With the Stars 8 results show. Last night Lil Kim jived her way to the top of the leaderboard and Ty dropped almost back to where he started, near the bottom. As we've seen the past few weeks, the fan vote has a lot to do with placement. Who will be safe and will head home?

Lil Kim/Derek's jive was chosen as the Encore Performance. Last night she had a wardrobe malfunction that was hidden so let's hope wardrobe has her 'girls' under more control tonight. I noticed Tom step in front of her, but it was only later that we found out why. Whoever does costumes needs to do a better job. Their jive was good again tonight.

First, from the revival of West Side Story, some of the cast with 'America'. I'm too much of a purist for this. I liked the interplay between the men and women in the original better than I liked this. I still have Rita Moreno and George Chikiris in my mind doing that song, as I've seen the movie hundreds of times I'm sure. It was okay, though.

Tom let us know that there was no Dance-Off tonight. What's up with that? They need to get some consistency here. I'm sure it's made some conspiracists speculate. They had all the couples on the steps and called Lil Kim/Derek and LT/Edyta down first and told them that they would be back next week.

Julianne and Tony danced to 'Goodbye' by Rascal Flatts. I'm not a country music fan, but I am a fan of theirs. Wow, this dance was freaking awesome! He flipped her all over like a rag doll, but she stayed graceful throughout. Beautiful song and beautiful dance. Oh heck yeah, this I loved!

Next week, instead of the Pros, the stars will be designing the costumes. This ought to be interesting. Lawrence joked with the head costumer that he was gonna put a little more clothes on Edyta since his mama will be watching. Lil Kim teased that she was gonna put Derek in sparkles and a pimp cup. Steve-O teased animal print. I'm kind of looking forward to this.

Back to the results, Shawn/Mark and Melissa/Tony were called down next and told that they would be back next week.

Well, Carmen Electra was featured in this weeks Macy's Stars of Dance Performance. I knew their definition of 'Star' was different than mine, and this was just another example. When did she become a 'Star of Dance'? Anyway, this was choreographed by an original member of the Pussy Cat Dolls so if you guessed that it would be kind of raunchy, you would have been correct. And the dancing wasn't all that good either. They are lacking with this segment this season ... sigh. I'd have rather watched our pros dance.

Rascal Flatt's performed their rendition of The Beatle's song 'Revolution'. I recognized Chelsie and Mark dancing, but not the other pair, and Tom didn't tell us who they were. I liked that dance, though, it was pretty cool. Not as good as the first performance, but it was pretty good.

Four couples left, Gilles/Cheryl were told that they were safe. Then Ty/Chelsie, Chuck/Julianne, Steve-O/Lacey were left to sweat it out for a commercial break. Someone fell asleep at the button, though, because it was not a smooth transition from show to commercial and Tom was heard to say something about 'Well, that was abrupt'. Once back, Chuck/Julianne were told that they were safe. They made sure to tell us that the other couple left is not necessarily in the bottom two. After wasting a few more minutes talking to the judges, Steve-O/Lacey were told that they would be leaving tonight.

As a counter to the ugliness that was David Alan Grier, Steve-O was very funny and gracious in his goodbyes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, google DAGs exit interviews and see how ugly he really was. Anyway, next week on Dancing With the Stars 8, we can look forward to seeing the costumes that the stars come up with.

What did y'all think of the show tonight? Was it finally time for Steve-O to go? What did you think of the other entertainment. Who do you want to see as the entertainment for next Tuesday? Let's brainstorm. Comment below.

Dancing With the Stars 8: Romance and Fun in a Neat Lil Package

Last week on Dancing With the Stars 8, a shock result sent David home. All the Stars are upping their games this week. Can anyone top Gilles? Jive and Rumba tonight. Past championships mean nothing. We're at the halfway point in the competition. Who'll bring it? Random thought here: coming down the stairs, Lacey's costume looks trashy, like she came out wearing lingerie. Julianne looks beautiful, as does Edyta. Cheryl and Chelsie look cute as buttons.

First up with the jive is Ty/Chelsie. Last week he was stiff, can he loosen up this week? Their practice was hilarious because he was so stiff and Chelsie tried to get him to loosen up. She brought a trampoline to help him feel the jive and she brought a hula hoop. He was surprisingly good at the hula hoop. Those two are so cute. She made the dance look like a country line dance. He was doing pretty good until he lost his place. But she helped him get back on track. This routine wasn't perfect, but it was fun to watch. Len said that Ty was charming and had a bewildered look. He tries 100%, but tonight it took him a while to get started, and it wasn't that good. Bruno said that the line dancing was good, but the jive part was not. Timing a bit rough. Carrie Ann said that it was an exciting jive, didn't think he found his footing, though. Some dancers are suited to particular dances, this one was just in the middle. Backstage with Samantha, he admitted that he messed up a bunch, and that in front of all those people once he messed up it kind of snowballed. Scores: Three 6's for 18/30

Shawn/Mark have the romantic rumba. Last week she won the judges hearts back. Wow, their practice video looked scary. She was so uptight. She'd told him that she was missing her prom, so he recreated it, in the hopes of helping with the dance. She surprised me. I loved that. It was romantic without being overly sexual. Bruno said that it was so beautifully cute, almost angelic. The innocence of romance. He wants her to work the hip action a bit. Carrie Ann said that she could see the discomfort of the dance in her eyes, but the 2nd half was good. Len said that sometimes the rumba can warm and sometimes it can burn, but this one was just right. Backstage, Mark said he worked to keep the dance fun and age appropriate. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 from Carrie Ann for 26/30

Tomorrow's Stars of Dance performance is a number choreographed by an original Pussy Cat Doll. I'm rolling my eyes here. From talking about romantic to smut. More random thoughts here: Ooh, ooh, Edyta brought Warren Sapp to practice for LT and I can see them trying to play up the real life romance of Julianne and Chuck again. Dang, that philly cheese steak sandwich looked good in that Tum's commercial, and I really want that 2010 Fusion Hybrid. You know, I read earlier today that the show makes over $4 Million per hour from the commercials that most of us ff through. See, this is why I shouldn't watch the show live, I go off on tangents.

Oh we're back and next up is LT/Edyta. Last week he dodged elimination, but what will he do with the jive? In practice, he's such a perfectionist that he can't have fun. People were saying around the net that he didn't look like he wanted to be there. I don't see that. I see a perfectionist that is getting frustrated with his lack of success. Edyta brought Warren to loosen him up. It looked like he was so much happier after the visit. He's moving better and he had a lil smile on his face. He shouldn't look down at his feet so much, though. He looked more comfortable than last week, that's for sure. I smiled throughout the whole dance. Tom commented that Warren was a good influence. Carrie Ann said that LT brought his groove back, it was so much more enjoyable to watch, caught a lift. Len said lots of basic movement. Said that LT was very intense, but showed the light inside his personality. Good job. Bruno said that Lawrence was alive and kicking. On time the entire way, his best performance yet. Backstage, LT said that Warren reminded him that he was supposd to have fun. This was better because this music at least had words and a constant beat. Scores: Two 7's and an 8 from Bruno for 22/30.

Melissa/Tony with the rumba. She wants to come back from last week. She was disappointed that they practiced so well, and then didn't deliver. In practice, they looked like they were having fun. They even loosened up enough to make a Bachelorette joke. Tony said that he thinks that she's really taken to this dance. This was very pretty. Not as hot as I expected, but I enjoyed it. What's up with the males wearing these sheer, sparkly open shirts tonight for the rumba? Len wanted the dance to be more earthy, less balletic. Great job. Bruno said that she's voluptuous and so exotic, and her body takes on incredible ease. I think he said that he wanted her to let it go. She has everything to gain. Carrie Ann said that the emotional quality of the dance moved her. Get her hips going, but everything else is there. Scores: Three 9's for 27.

Lil Kim/Derek hit a high note last week with their Viennese Waltz, but can they keep it up? Derek said that this week they should have an advantage because they were adding a lot of 'flavor' to this dance. They did a 50's era jive. Lil Kim was the very sexy looking cop with Derek the jailbird, dancing to Elvis' Jailhouse Rock. I really hate the faces that she tends to make when she's dancing. The dance was cute though. Queen Latifa in the audience really enjoyed it. Bruno went on one of his rants. He said that she rocked, it was fabulous. Carrie Ann said that it was amazing. Fantastic choreography, and such pizazz. Len said that it was fun and had such energy, but they got so carried away with the Jailhouse Rock, but it was lacking in the jive dance essentials. He enjoyed it, but it was a mischaracterization. Scores: Two 10's and an 8 (from Len)for 28/30. Samantha made a disparaging remark about Len's 8, but Derek said that Len was right and he knew it, but they took a risk.

Last week Steve-O/Lacey received the lowest scores, and this week they have the rumba. Lacey tried to pull romance out of him, and it looked so hard. He admits that it will be a major challenge, they look at each other as brother/sister. He is in love, however, with his dog and Lacey said that she was going to try to channel that love into their rumba. It was a sweet dance, he didn't do much dancing though. I still don't see why she wore her underwear. Carrie Ann said that there was something oddly mesmerizing about watching them dance. She really enjoyed it, long way from last week. Len said that you can't confuse movement with dancing and it was no good. Bruno said thank goodness for racy Lacey. Steve was charming, but the dance was bad. Scores: 7 from Carrie Ann, 5 from Bruno and 4 from Len for 16/30

Gilles/Cheryl had the lead for the third straight week last week. This week, though, he can't be the sexy Gilles, he has to be the fun Gilles. I'm wondering if they can pull this off. Their practice video didn't look very promising. He was getting frustrated, so she took him to a soccer pitch and it helped his spirit. Fun in black leather ... yum. I had a smile on my face the whole way. At one point it looked like he lost the beat of the music, but he got back on beat. Dang this beat was fast. I loved this dance and it was so sweet how he ran across to kiss his wife. Len said that he showed a lot of the qualities of the jive, but a pity was that he went a little bit wrong on a step in front of him and again he found it frenetic. Bruno called it fast and furious, put 110% into the dance, great performance, but they tended to lose some of the sharpness because of the speed. Carrie Ann said that his arms were weird, because of his injury, but a good job. Christian de la Fuente was in the audience looking hot. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 from Len for 26/30.

Julianne/Chuck impressed the judges last week with their Viennese Waltz, but they seem to be feeling a lot of pressure with this dance. they were feeling like because they were a couple that it would be devastating to hear that there was no chemistry. They were back on the kick of hard to separate the girlfriend from the teacher. They were very snippy with each other, so they went to the place they had their first date. Chuck realized it was not about the steps, but about the connection. Wow, that was hot. Bruno said that he'd like some more of that please, switched on the raunch factor. Technically not perfect, but it was a step in right direction. Carrie Ann was fanning herself. Most passionate sexy number of the night. Work more on technique, great job. Len said that parts of it was more suitable for the bedroom, not the ballroom. Some great lines, some poor lines. Mechanical and animal. This was a little too raunchy for him. Backstage Chuck said that this was his favorite dance. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 from Len for 23/30.

Tomorrow night in addition to the Macy's Stars performance, Rascal Flatts will sing and there will be a performance by the cast of West Side Story. And next week, in addition to their individual dances, there will be a group dance. I'm thinking that it will be like last season when they were split into two groups and the scores from their group dance were added to their individual scores. That was really bad for one of the groups.

But this week there is a new #1. Lil Kim/Derek took over on the top of the Leaderboard with 28, but Melissa/Tony are nipping at their heels with 27 and Shawn/Mark and Gilles/Cheryl have 26. Steve-O/Lacey brought up the rear once again with 16, but Ty/Chelsie only had 18. Steve-O's fans kept him out of the Dance Off last week, will they come through again? Who impressed you the most and who should leave? Comment below or send me an email to ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 5 Results Show with Etta James and Demi Lovato

Hey y'all! Tonight's Dancing With the Stars 8 results show featured musical numbers by Etta James, Demi Lovato and Le Reve in addition to an encore performance, a Dance-Off and another couple leaving. Who would it be? Steve-O/Lacey had the lowest judges scores, but what would the voters say?

Right off the bat the show began with the encore performance. I really wanted to see Gilles/Cheryl again, but since they danced last week I knew it wouldn't be them. In fact since I spied Lil Kim posing behind Tom, I correctly guessed that she and Derek would be repeating their Viennese Waltz from last night. The dance was as beautiful as last night.

As they recapped last night's show, they showed that part of Melissa's foot problem was that she put her foot through the bottom of her dress. Watching in slow motion, I'm amazed that she managed to stay on her feet, not to mention finish the dance. Props to her for that. But then I'm a klutz and I'd have been flat on my face ... or my butt.

Tom and Samantha announced the first two couples that were safe. Shawn/Mark and Lil Kim/Derek will be back to dance for us next week. Off on another tangent here, I was reading that Cat Deeley was standing by to sub for Ryan Secrest last week in case he was too sick to go on. The Idol stage is right across the street from the DWTS stage ... I wish she would have subbed for Samantha last week. I love Cat, she's awesome.

Anyway, the first guest was Etta James singing her classic "At Last". Maks and Karina did an absolutely beautiful dance to that song. Once again I had to ask why we had to watch Ms. James sitting and singing instead of watching the entire dance and listening to the singer.

Then in a backstage interview, Steve-O revealed that his dad said that if he went to the Dance-Off and his judges score stayed the same, he would need a 12% edge in audience voting to beat the next lowest couple. Foreshadowing perhaps? Well ... no. Tom and Samantha then told Gilles/Cheryl and Steve-O/Lacey that they were safe. Guess he got more than his 12% edge. Then Chuck/Julianne and Melissa/Tony were told that they'd be back next week.

Next up was the Macy's Stars of Dance Performance. Okay, I was very curious to see this. Le Reve is usually done in a large pool of water, or water theatre. In fact, I read that all of the performers, in addition to being dancers and acrobats, had to be scuba certified. How would they pull this one off? Well, they did their performance without the water. Don't get me wrong, it was a very cool performance of dance and acrobatics, but it was a bit of a let down for me because I wanted to see them in the water. Y'all should check out some of the YouTubes available.

Demi Lovato, some Disney girl, sang this song called "La La Land". I didn't care for the song, but I did enjoy getting to see Benji Schwimmer dance again. His partner, Tori Smith, was okay, but Lacey or their cousin Heidi would have been better. Oh, and their costumes were ugly, too.

Ty/Chelsie were put out of their misery and that left David/Kym and LT/Edyta in the bottom two. To be honest, I didn't enjoy either of their dances enough last night to want to see them again, but alas ...

First up were David/Kym with their Viennese Waltz. This was the one that looked more like a torch dance than a romantic Viennese Waltz. I loved watching Kym, she's a glorious dancer, but I didn't see much improvement. The judges did, though, especially Carrie Ann. Last night, she said that there was a disconnect, but tonight she said that their dance felt connected and showed more passion. Their score from last night was 22, tonight they got three 8's for 24.

Lt/Edyta repeated their Paso Doble. LT should have talked to Warren Sapp or something, because as much as I love my football guys in this competition, he's not doing it for me. Warren's Paso Doble was very cool, this one left me cold. In fact, I thought that they did better last night. All three of the judges mentioned that the music they had was very difficult and commended them for being able to follow it. Len said that they made a real improvement from last night. The scores didn't reflect that, though. Last night they got a 20 and tonight they got two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann) for another 20.

After yet another commercial break, Tom told David/Kym that they were the couple leaving. Wow, he must really not have a fan base. What did y'all think? Did the right couple go home? Comment below and I'll catch y'all next week.

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 4 Double Elimination Results Show

Hey y'all! Tonight on Dancing With the Stars 8, we were told the bottom three couples for the first time and then the bottom two were eliminated. As usual there were musical numbers, dances and other fillers to stretch the show to an hour and two minutes. Samantha was sounding sick last night and tonight her time on camera talking was limited. Tom was out front while Samantha spent her time backstage.

I must be psychic or something! First Gilles got to do the Argentine Tango and then last night I wished for an Encore performance instead of a Dance-Off. My wish was granted! I got to see Gilles/Cheryl do that super hot Argentine Tango one more time and it was even better than last night. Whew, that was hot.

After a recap of the Leaderboard, which showed Gilles/Cheryl alone on the top and Woz/Karina on the bottom, Tom put Gilles/Cheryl and LT/Edyta out of their misery and told Holly/Dmitry that they were in the bottom three.

Next week one of the dances will be the Paso Doble. To show us how one is supposed to look, Chelsie, Lacey, Julianne, Derek and another male dancer performed this very cool Paso while Kevin Rudolf sang his hit 'Let It Rock'. It shouldn't have worked, but it really did. That was a way cool Paso, very enjoyable to watch. I just wish they'd let us watch the dancers more while the singers sang off camera. What do we need to see them for?

Shawn/Mark were told that they were safe right before another special number. The couples that don't get the Paso Doble next week will be doing a Viennese Waltz. To demonstrate the proper form for this was a group of International Champions, choreographed by Louis Van Amstel, doing this beautiful dance to 'Annie's Song'. Wow, this dance was gorgeous. This is one of the first times that I've enjoyed dancers other than our pros doing ballroom.

Chuck/Julianne were told that they were safe, while Steve-O/Lacey were told that they were in the bottom three. After that, Cheryl, Tony, Kym and Dmitry danced to a BoyzIIMen Motown Medley. Kym and Dmitry really looked good together. All the dancers were good, of course, but the singing was not so good. I actually cringed at a couple of points.

Lil Kim/Derek and Melissa/Tony were told that they were safe and then they wasted some more time. I don't even know what it was, I fast forwarded through it. Finally Ty/Chelsie were told that they were safe, as were David/Kym. This means that Woz/Karina joined Steve-O/Lacey and Holly/Dmitry in the bottom three.

Who went home and who squeaked through? Dun Dun Dun ... Since by this time, they were running out of time, Tom quickly told Holly/Dmitry and Woz/Karina that they were leaving. They did get the time to enthuse over their partners and their experiences and we were reminded to go to abc.com and vote for the Design-A-Dance. The dance, Quick Step, and the song, 'It Don't Mean a Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing', have already been chosen. The dancers and costumes are still to go. Catch y'all next week when we'll get to see Paso Dobles and Viennese Waltzes on Dancing With the Stars 8.

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 3 Results Show

Hey y'all! It's that time again. Time to say goodbye to one more couple on Dancing With the Stars 8. Next week, though, there will be a double elimination according to Tom. After an extra long recap of last night's show, Karina tells us that if they are there next week, we'll see a new move ... and she pokes The Woz in the tummy and he giggles ala The Pillsbury Doughboy.

The first four couples are told that they are safe and there are no surprises until the fourth couple. Melissa/Tony, Gilles/Cheryl and Shawn/Mark are let off the hook. Who was the fourth couple? The Woz and Karina. The judges looked shocked, Tom was shocked, Woz/Karina were shocked. After my wanderings around the web, I'm wondering if this was a judges backlash. There was plenty anger and indignation about how the judges talked to him last night. People felt that they were undeservedly and unnecessarily rude and mean. I counted quite a few people on a couple of boards that gave all of their votes to Woz and Karina because of that.

In the TMI moment of the night, in the stupid Samantha interview, Woz told us that he was more shocked than anytime in his life except when he was served divorce papers ... um ... okay.

Also safe this week are LT/Edyta, David/Kym, Chuck/Julianne and Lil Kim/Derek.

In addition to a double elimination, the celebs and their pros will be doing one of two new dances, the Lindy Hop and the Argentine Tango. To demonstrate the basics of these two dances were ... Cloris and Corky. It was a cute segment, I guess, but not as funny as I think they were aiming for. Ooh, I hope Gilles gets the Tango ... but I bet he won't.

The two musical numbers came next. Maks, Tony, Dmitry and Karina danced to Hall & Oates singing Maneater. This was an awesome dance. How come I never realized how sexy Tony is? The dance had the three guys showing off for Karina and at the end she picks Maks, of course. Then Alec and Edyta sang to Adele singing Chasing Pavements. I've never heard her sing, but I love her voice. I really like that style of music and the song she sang. I also loved that dance. It was so beautiful, I miss Alec.

The last four couples standing were Steve-O/Lacey, Holly/Dmitry, Ty/Chelsie and Denise/Maks. Steve-O/Lacey were put out of their misery first and Ty/Chelsie were also told that they were safe. That means that this weeks Dance-Off will be between Maks/Denise and Holly/Dmitry. They both repeated their pitiful Sambas.

First up were Holly/Dmitry. She worked on her bottom half and I guess she improved a little. She still looked stiff and awkward to me. The judges all seemed to think she did better and gave her three 6's for 18. Last night she got a 17. Denise/Maks were next. It looked to me like she walked the steps instead of danced the steps, but the judges disagreed. They all enthused over the improvement in her performance. Len even went so far as to tell Denise that she proved that she deserved to stay. They gave her two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann) for 20. Last night they got a 16.

Both these teams can leave, as far as I'm concerned, but after four minutes of commercials, Denise/Maks were given their walking papers. Wow, I really didn't expect that after the judges scoring. I guess this couple really had no fan support. Maks must have ticked off his loyal following with all the kvetching he's been doing. It's mean of me, but I gave a quick laugh because Karina outlasted her man after he made the comment he made that Karina deserved better than she got. Right after I thought that, the camera panned to a visibly upset Karina. I almost felt bad.

Anyway, what do you think? Did y'all pick the right couple to leave? Who do y'all want to do what dances next week. I know I will drool to see Gilles/Cheryl do the Argentine Tango. That is one sexy dance when it's done right. I definitely do NOT want to see Steve-O or Woz do it. Okay, I probably just jinxed it and they will both have it. I think Tony/Melissa could do a hot one, too. They'll probably have everyone's favorite couple (insert eye roll here) Chuck/Julianne do one to show us their chemistry. Your thoughts? Comment below, and I'll catch y'all next week.

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 3 and He Gave Up Golf For This

Week three of Dancing With the Stars 8, and we finally have all of the stars participating. Week one doesn't count because of Jewel and Nancy. Tonight's dances are the Samba and the Foxtrot. Who'll bring it and who'll drop the ball? You know, this season for me, is good because I don't see anyone just going through the motions. It seems like all of the contestants from the best to the worst are all working their hind ends off to give us the best show possible. And I appreciate it because this is another long two hour show.

First up tonight are Denise/Maks doin' the Samba. To loosen Denise up, Maks showed up to practice in drag as a Samba Queen. Maks, that's not a good look for ya, honey. Their Samba was just okay for me. I didn't enjoy watching it and it didn't look like she enjoyed doing it. The judges pretty much agreed with me. Len said that the Samba is the hardest of the Latin dances, but theirs needed more of a latin kick and more hip action. Bruno said that it was flat and full of holes. It was a waffle instead of a Samba and it didn't have a party feel. Carrie Ann agreed with Bruno and told Denise to mask her fear and to work on her hands and arms. Scores: Two 5's and a 6 (from Len) for 16/30

Chuck/Julianne had the first Foxtrot of the night. In their confessional, they whined about the judges being too hard on him, that they had higher expectations of him since his girlfriend could dance. Yeah, whatever. But in spite of the music, and the whining, I enjoyed the dance. Chuck did much better this week. But actually that's not saying much, since last week he just posed. Anyway, I did like it. The judges appreciated his effort, too. Bruno said that he was glad to see Chuck in the driver's seat and starting to dance WITH Julianne. Carrie Ann said that this dance showed that Chuck could possibly be a contender and Len said that it was good, but not great yet. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Len) for 23/30

Holly/Dmitry were next with their Samba. I really didn't think this dance was fun to watch. She tries hard, but she looked so awkward. I cringed through most of this dance. Carrie Ann said that this was rough to watch, that it was totally disjointed. Len said that she needed to work on her footwork. He said that she was like a match, hot on the top, wooden on the bottom and Bruno said that her feet weren't going the right way and that her hip action was not correct. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 (from Carrie Ann) for 17/30

Steve-O/Lacey had another rough week. He had to ease back into the dancing because of his back. I worry about him. He said earlier that he was going through addiction recovery while doing this show and I'm sure he's been given meds for his back. He looked like PeeWee Hermann for his Foxtrot. It was a cute dance and I enjoyed it until the end when he fell and hurt his back and ankle. Len clapped for him because he said that he came out and did it, and it had elements of a proper Foxtrot. Bruno said that he was the model of propriety. He started so well and then fell to pieces. Carrie Ann said that she liked that he learned from his mistakes and that she's sorry that he's had such a rough time. Scores: Three 5's for 15/30

LT/Edyta were next up with their Samba. He cracked me up talking about how he gave up golf time for dance ... and he doesn't give up golf for anything. This Samba wasn't technically the best, but it was very fun to watch. LT's got a little rhythm going there, haha. Bruno said that LT was pretty light on his feet for a big guy and has rhythm. He told him not to doubt his ability. Carrie Ann said that they did a good job, that he has a new found confidence and a twinkle in his eye, but she wants him to go for more difficulty next time. Len said that he liked LT's work ethic, but wants more hip action and less shoulder action. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Len) for 20/30

Shawn/Mark did a very beautiful and elegant Foxtrot. Bruno and Carrie Ann both remarked on how it looked like she was just gliding across the floor, similar to an ice skater. Carrie Ann called her a princess, Bruno called her a beautiful bejewelled hummingbird and Len said that it was the best dance so far ... yeah, by a long shot. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

My new dance honey, Gilles, and his partner, Cheryl did a very hot Samba. His mom came to visit practice and it was so sweet to see. She told him that she wanted more, and he gave it to her. That man can shake his lil booty and hips. Len said that he was a good dancer, he lacked a little rhythm at the beginning, but he made a hard dance look easy. Bruno called him a throbbing, red hot poker ... down boy ... said that the Samba was a party dance and Gilles makes everyone want to party with him. Carrie Ann said that it was excellent and that Gilles brought out something special in Cheryl and he shook things that Carrie Ann didn't know guys could shake. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30

David/Kym did a decent Foxtrot. It started out really good and slowed down for me. Kym said that this week she wanted to showcase David and I think she did a good job. The dance didn't really wow me, but David did a lot of dancing and he did a good job. Had a big Broadway vibe. Bruno said that they took the Foxtrot to Broadway and that it was a big transformation for David. Carrie Ann gave him two snaps and gave props to the choreography and Len said that it was his best dance so far. Scores: Three 8's for 24/30

The Woz/Karina got the Samba. Okay, I'm scared for him. I cannot imagine his body doing this dance. On top of that, he had another trip to the hospital this week and he pulled his hamstring. He was still cringing in pain trying to dance on Sunday. This Samba was just awful, but strangely enjoyable, if that makes any sense. They even threw in something that I think was supposed to be a worm. It was funny watching Bruno cover his face. Carrie Ann said that he was cute and adorable, but at some point the novelty wears off. She called his worm a slug, lol. Len said that the dance was killing him. He hopes that the audience was entertained, because it was bad from start to finish. Bruno just called it the worst Samba that he's ever seen. Backstage, though, they got a standing ovation for his efforts. Scores: Two 3's and a 4 (from Carrie Ann) for 10/30

Melissa/Tony did an old-timey, big band looking, gorgeous Foxtrot. I loved it. Len said that it had great musicality, but said something about working on her ball/heel foot thingy. Bruno called it beautiful to look at and easy to love and Carrie Ann called her an excellent dancer but told her that she needed to challenge herself a little bit ... it was too easy for her. Scores: Three 9's for 27/30 And it seems that LT has to take Melissa golfing since she got at least three 8's.

Lil Kim/Derek had a Samba. They did a good job, but it was missing something to me. The girl can shake her butt, that's for sure. Bruno said that it worked for him. He called her a pocketsized Venus with Supersized sex appeal. The dance was not perfect, but she sold it. Carrie Ann said that it was hot and they went for it. She loved it. Len said that Lil Kim had a bionic booty but asks Derek to put more basic dance moves into their routines. Scores: Two 8's and a 9 (from Bruno) for 25/30

And last, but certainly not least, was Ty/Chelsie and their Foxtrot. It was a very nice and elegant dance. Poor Chelsie slipped and fell near the beginning, but Ty was a pro and didn't miss a beat. He helped her up and they just kept going, and they did a nice job. Carrie Ann called Ty the most improved by miles and said that they looked fantastic. Len said that he was a bit stiff and lacked musicality, but that the routine was fantastic and they had a great recovery. Bruno said that Chelsie was turning into a miracle worker. They had that one mistake, but it was an excellent dance. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Bruno) for 23 That's a good score considering that fall. It was bad, but he handled it well and the male pros made sure to give him props backstage.

So that was it. Another long night watching Dancing With the Stars 8. I think that next week I will record it and begin watching it 45 minutes later. I bet I can catch up with fast forwarding through all the commercials and filler. I couldn't believe that they had a bunch of commercials after every single dance. That was overkill. I did enjoy the dancing though. Top of the leaderboard again were Gilles/Cheryl, Shawn/Mark and Melissa/Tony and poor Woz/Karina are bringing up the rear again. I enjoy watching him dance, but his poor body is falling apart.

Tomorrow night's musical guests are Hall & Oates and Adele and two more couples will have to participate in a Dance-Off. Who do you think those two couples will be? Comment below or drop me a line at ladytex@tvfunspot.com

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 2 Results Show

Hey y'all, I'm back again! This time with my recap of the first elimination show of Dancing With the Stars 8. There is a new twist this season, with the Celebrities with the two lowest point totals having a 'Dance-Off'. There were also three special musical numbers this evening, a Macy's Stars of Dance performance and songs by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Jewell.

The show started right off with Mark, Cheryl, Lacy, Tony, Derek and Julianne dancing to a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy song. You know, I thought this would be some crazy hard rock group, but was pleasantly surprised. I love big band music and this was kinda like Big Band with a rock twist. Very cool. Oh, and the dancing was good, too.

Steve-O was backstage and was interviewed. He hopes to stay, and he took total responsibility for that front flip (take that, you judges) and said that Lacey tried to talk him out of it. That led to a Tom Bergeron crack about what's it coming to when Lacey is the voice of reason. I hope he stays a while because I think that he and Lacey will have some interesting dance routines.

Eight couples were put out of their misery and told that they were safe. They were: LT/Edyta, Shawn/Mark, Chuck/Julianne, David/Kym, Denise/Maks, Melissa/Tony, Lil Kim/Derek, and Gilles/Cheryl. As much as I love Maks and Julianne, their comments this week (actually their whining this week) about Melissa have me sort of rooting against them. I didn't hear Maks complaining when his partner was Mel B, who had plenty of dance training, and Julianne shouldn't be complaining about anything since she's been given all these breaks already this season. Every season there is a contestant with more of a dance background and every season someone complains about it. Anyway ...

They wasted some time by having a little segment on a Celebrity Survival Guide by Cameron Mathison. He had the following tips for the Celebs to follow if they wanted to be successful:
-- Don't trip on the stairs
-- Make friends in the Red Room and then psych them out
-- Always cry in the confessional
-- Always kiss up to the judges
-- Make friends with the spray tan girl
-- And finally, to prevent injury ... don't sign up.

The two remaining special musical numbers followed. The Macy's Stars of Dance performance was choreographed by Michael Rooney, son of Mickey Rooney, and was a tribute to the Music of Hollywood's Golden Age. It was just okay for me. 'Our' dancers would have done a much better job, the girls especially. I also wasn't too impressed by the choreography. It looked like something just thrown together. I wonder how long they gave him to come up with this. I did, however, love seeing Mickey Rooney in the audience. Then Dmitry and Chelsie danced to Jewel's rendition of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. It was a pretty dance, but it looked like a typical SYTYCD routine and, of course, Dmitry just had to have his shirt open. *rolling eyes here*

Finally back to the results ... Holly/Dmitry, Ty/Chelsie, and Steve-O/Lacey were told that they were safe. That leaves Belinda/Jonathan and Steve Woz/Karina as the bottom two and the participants of the first ever Dance-Off. The way this worked was that the judges slate was wiped clean, tonight's scores will count for 50% of the final score, with the audience vote counting for the other 50%.

Belinda/Jonathan were up first and chose to repeat their Salsa from last night. Last night the judges kept harping on her lack of hip action, so that's what they worked on today. It was really sad, though. She focused so much on her hips, that she messed up on her footwork. It wasn't as much fun to watch today, she didn't look as if she enjoyed it as much either. The judges agreed. They complimented her better hip action, but all remarked on her losing her footwork. Backstage, she kept apologizing to Jonathan for letting him down, and he just kept telling her that he was proud of her. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 from Carrie Ann for a total of 17, one point less than last night.

The Woz/Karina chose to replay their Quick Step. This guy just makes me smile when he dances. He just seems to have so much fun. I enjoyed this routine once again. The judges commented that he's not a good dancer, but they enjoy watching him. Backstage, Samantha asked both couples some really assinine questions. She asked how they would feel if this was their last dance. What does she think? I'm waiting for someone to just give her a look and then ignore her. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 from Len for a total of 17, the same as last night. Bruno had a paddle malfunction and held his score paddle up backwards.

With the judges scores equal, it was up to the audience vote. And the first couple eliminated from Dancing With the Stars 8 was Belinda/Jonathan. It was really sad, but frankly, she wouldn't have lasted very long. I feel badly for Jonathan, though, lately it seems that he gets booted early. Don't forget to go to abc.com and vote for the Design-a-Dance. This past week plus the dance was voted on and the Quick Step was chosen. Now the vote is for who we want to see dance. I hope the dancers chosen are not the Houghs this time.

Well, catch y'all next week. What was your reaction to tonight's show? Did the right couple go home? Comment below.

Dancing With the Stars 8: Week 2 and I'll Still Call Him Superman

Hey y'all. It's only the second week of Dancing With the Stars 8, and the injuries just keep a comin'. Over the weekend, there were reports of injuries to Steve Wozniak (foot), Steve-O (back), and Gilles (shoulder). At the time, I wondered if any of those injuries would have a big impact on the show. It didn't take long to find out that, at least in the short term, the answer was yes. During introductions, Lacey came down the staircase alone and Tom Bergeron commented that Steve-O had hurt his back earlier in the day during dress rehearsals. Well, either Tom was kept in the dark, or they deliberately were keeping from us the prior back injury. Anyway, we got the first of several teases that we'd learn more about the situation later.

To begin the night, Holly/Dmitry did the Quickstep. During their practice video, they decided to get to know each other better, to help the chemistry issues. Holly told us that her mantra is "Every day is a Holly-day". Okay, stop gagging now. The funny part was that Dmitry kept thinking that she said 'holiday' and he was like ... okay. I guess it kinda loses impact when you have to explain it, hahahaha. Anyway, their Quickstep was okay. The footwork was pretty good, but there was no chemistry. The judges weren't glowing in their comments. Len said that the footwork was good, but that she had bad posture up top, Bruno said that it looked like she was running after Dmitry trying to catch up and Carrie Ann said that she looked like a doll. He was dragging her around. She told Holly that she needed to be more of an equal partner in the dance. Scores: Three 6's for 18 this week and a two dance total of 36/60.

David Alan/Kym were next with a Salsa. He impressed me by insisting to Kym that he didn't want to just stand around while she danced, but that he wanted to dance, too. And she did choreograph for him to dance. I thought the dance was very entertaining. I'm not a pro, but I know what I like and I liked this one. The judges? Not so much. Bruno said that he was only in one character tonight, but that his timing was off and his hip action needed work. Carrie Ann said that harder was not always better and that they lost the musicality trying to hard. Len said that there was too much Kym, not enough David and that the hip action was lacking (* remember this comment because I'll rant about it later) Scores: Two 6's and a 5 (from Len) for 17 this week, and a two week score of 36/60.

Denise/Maks did the Quickstep. It was just okay to me, nothing spectacular or even very entertaining. Her footwork was good, but she just looked stiff and uncomfortable about the upper body to me. The judges disagreed with me again (yes, this is a reoccurring theme this week). Carrie Ann said that this was much better, fantastic even, but that there were a few missteps. Len said that it was quite an improvement, but that they momentarily lost sync and Bruno agreed on the improvement and said that there was great leg action. The only entertaining part of their segment, at least for me, was that after the judges comments, at Maks suggestion, Denise either patted or pinched Tom's tushy. Scores: Three 7's for 21, and 39/60 for the two weeks.

Belinda/Jonathan's Salsa was next. Jonathan said that he was going to make this wild and exciting and put in a few of her moves from the Go-Go's. I thought it was a fun, cute routine. Even though I saw one big mess up, I had a smile on my face the whole dance. Of course, the judges saw a different dance. Len said that it was exuberant and fun but it lacked hip action. Bruno said that there was progress made, but she needs to work on her timing and rhythm and Carrie Ann just dissed Belinda and told her that she was lacking in grace. Scores: Three 6's for 18, and 35/60 total.

Ty/Chelsie were next with their Quickstep, and I was worried. I like these two and don't want them to leave right yet. Alright! This dance is so much better. It was so cute and entertaining. Ty is such a cutie pie and he worked so hard. And the judges seemed to agree with me this time. Carrie Ann cheered and said that she was so proud of him. Bruno commented that he was riding that Quickstep, he had good posture and was much improved. Len called it a metamorphosis. Last week he was a caterpillar and this week a butterfly (um, okay). Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Len) for 20, and 34/60 for the two week score.

Shawn/Mark's Salsa also had me worried. I'm just not sure if this little girl can handle the Latin dances. She's so immature and inhibited and the Latin dances are just so sexy and free. Their Salsa was pretty good. I didn't enjoy it as much as many of the dances, but technically it was good. Once again, the judges commented similarly, but their scores didn't reflect the comments. Bruno called her a cute little thing, charming and precise. But she has to work on her naughtiness and flirtation. Len said that she was clean and precise. She needs to let it go a little more in latin dancing, and Carrie Ann said that her footwork was good and precise and that she was very focused. Scores: Three 8's for 24 and 47/60 for the two weeks.

The Woz/Karina had a Quickstep that had me cringing before it even began. Woz has a bad foot. He had an MRI this week and was told to rest his foot as much as he could and to use a walking cast. The doctor did not tell him that he couldn't dance, though. He's a big man already and with a broken foot, how would he handle this dance, in particular? Well, he handled it. It looked awkward, but he looked like he had so much fun, and it was fun to watch. I love this big guy and his whole attitude. Len said that it was great antics, Carrie Ann said that he was such a trooper, that she enjoyed watching him, but he needs to work on his arms and his endurance. Bruno was nasty to him again. He called him Wall-E this week (teletubby last week), rusty, made with spare parts, but resilient. Scores: Two 6's and a 5 (from Len) for 17, and 30/60 total.

Then came the Salsa from Chuck/Julianne. I thought it was a Julianne Salsa and Chuck posed. She came out in her bright costume with lots of, not ruffles, but you know those strings that hang off the costume and he was in all black. And she flashed and wiggled and jiggled and moved all around him while he stood there. Whatever. All three judges put Julianne on blast for it, but their scores didn't reflect their comments. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 (from Carrie Ann). I was pissed because David Alan did SO much more than Chuck and Len made a pithy comment about it and gave him a 5. Anyway their two week score is 40/60. Wonder if that is written into her contract that she can't be given bad scores for bad choreography.

Anyway, I soon calmed down when I saw LT/Edyta's Quickstep. I was so happy to see him do so much better. He still isn't quite in the Emmitt and Jason category, but he's definitely improved. This routine was fun to watch, entertaining. The judges agreed. Carrie Ann sang "That's the Way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it" and told them that it was much better, smooth and powerful. Bruno commented that he's a competitor, he came out there and performed and Len said that it was difficult choreography, but that it was well done. Scores: Two 7's and a 6 from Len for a 20. WHAT?? He dances, Chuck poses and they get the same score??? Bull hockey! Dang it, now I'm mad again. Two week total 36/60

We finally get a Steve-O update. During dress rehearsal, he fell on his mic pack and hurt his back. During their practice video he was saying how he was gonna do this salsa Steve-O style, which told me that he was going to put some risky moves in it. He'd already had some back problems, it was shown. And he was icing it between dancing. Well at the end of the routine in dress rehearsal, he and Lacey both did a front flip. Lacey landed correctly, but Steve-O landed flat on his back ... on his mic pac. Lacey said that he got up from that, but when they went back stage, they were rehearsing a move and he hit his back on her and it swelled up and at that point they took him to the hospital. Lacey did say that initial reports from the hospital were that there was nothing broken.

The show decided to judge him and Lacey on their dress rehearsal. That really stinks, because there is no excitement, no polish on a dress rehearsal performance, but oh well. They showed the performance and it was pretty good. I bet it would have been awesome during the show. The judges were harsh with them all seeming to blame Lacey for his getting injured. It wasn't a traditional salsa by any means, and it was out there even for Lacey, so I figured that they wouldn't like it. But they actually surprised me with how much they disliked it. Scores: Two 5's and a 4 (from Len) for 14, and 31/60 for the two weeks.

To lighten things up, Lil Kim and Derek performed their Quickstep to 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend'. I enjoyed it more than I expected to. She was quite refined (for her) and it seemed very smooth. Bruno commented that she did bling very well and he loved it. Carrie Ann said that it was great, fantastic choreography, but that they needed to work on their holds. Len was harsh. He said that she's definitely not shy, there was not a lot of quality, no refinement and virtually no body contact. His comments were harsh, but the scores were not. Scores: Two 8's and a 7 (from Len) for 23 and 44/60 for the two week score.

Melissa/Tony followed with their Salsa. Now THAT was a salsa! Best one of the night and best dance so far. Very entertaining and it was the most like a traditional salsa. I was shaking along with them, and I wasn't the only one, haha! Carrie Ann said 'Finally a real salsa!' and called it slammin'. Len said that he was gyrating in his seat (that was a visual that I could do without, thanky very much), and Bruno made some cooking analogy talking about so much content and so much flavor. He wanted more and thanked them. Scores: Two 9's and an 8 (from Len) for 26 and 49/60 for the two week score!

And last, but definitely not least, my new Dancing honey Gilles and his partner Cheryl doing a Quickstep to 'Kryptonite'. He came out looking just like Clark Kent, down to the glasses. Oh, man this was my second favorite dance of the night! Very close second, too. Maybe it's tied for my favorite dance. It was awesome, I loved it! And at the end he threw off his glasses and tore open his button down shirt to show his spandex with the G on it. Excellent dance! That was the way to end this thing! Judges agreed, too. Len said it was great, well done. Bruno called it French class with American flair, and Carrie Ann told him that they were quickly becoming fan faves. I hope so because he probably had the smallest fan base coming into this thing, and he deserves to stay. Scores: Three 9's for 27! Woo hoo! and 51/60 for the two dance total.

And that was it boys and girls. Another entertaining two hours of dance. Gilles/Cheryl top the judges leaderboard with 51/60, Melissa/Tony are on their heels with 49/60 and Shawn/Mark have 47/60. Down at the bottom are Steve Wozniak/Karina with 30/60 and Steve-O/Lacey with 31/60. That doesn't mean much because there will also be two weeks of viewers votes added in. This year, they will tell us the bottom two, and instead of that being it, those bottom two teams will have a Dance-Off. According to abc.com: In the "Dance-Off," the judges scores from the first 2 weeks are wiped out and the judges scores from the "Dance-Off" performance will replace them. The viewer votes from the first 2 weeks still count. The new judges scores from the "Dance-Off" and the viewers votes from the first 2 weeks will be combined to determine the eliminated couple.

While it sounds like a big thing, it really isn't. As I see it, the only thing it will accomplish is to let us know who the bottom two are, so that if we're fans and our fave survives, we can vote our tails off this next week. It will also allow the judges to manipulate their scores (as if they don't already) to determine who they want to leave. Maybe. Only if the voters totals are close, because if they're not, then it shouldn't matter what the judges do. Unless they're weighted, which they won't tell us. And I bet every week, whoever gets the highest judges score will stay, regardless of fan vote.

Anyway, Tuesday night is the first elimination and the musical guests are Jewel and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Macy's Stars of Dance performance is, according to Tom, a contemporary twist on the golden age of Hollywood Musicals, whatever that means. But I usually love that segment, so I'm looking forward to it. So who will be in the dance off and who will leave? Comment on that or on your thoughts of the show below or shoot me an email at ladytex@tvfunspot.com and I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow with the recap of the results show.

Dancing With the Stars 8: "I Wanna Put My Foot in the Waltz's Butt"

Hey y'all! The season premiere of Dancing With the Stars 8 was a good one. There were the expected bad dances, the expected good dances, and even the unexpected good ones. This is a non-elimination week and the scores earned along with the vote counts will carry over to next week. A new twist have the bottom two couples doing a dance off to get the judges to change their scores. As everyone knows, two female celebrities dropped out of the competition last week, Jewel and Nancy O'Dell. For the intros only 11 couples came out and we were told that we'd find out the replacements later.

The first couple to dance this week was Lil Kim / Derek. In their little pre-dance blurb we learned that Lil Kim became a fan while she was in prison and that she was dedicating this first dance to all her girls in the Federal Detention Center. Alrighty then ... She also made a remark that she's gonna be Black Barbie to Derek's Ken. Okay, so I didn't really have an open mind about her to begin with, and this really didn't help. So, for their dance, they did a Cha-cha to Nasty Boys. Uh, yeah. So I guess they're going to cater to the hip hop crowd with her this season. The dance really wasn't that bad, for what it was. The judges seemed to like it, giving her three 7's for a score of 21.

Next up was Belinda / Jonathan. She's our token older lady this season. They had a decent waltz. She was kind of stiff, but I think it was nerves. I loved that she was actually singing the words to the song as she danced. The judges didn't like it nearly as much as I did with Bruno being particularly brutal saying that she started off like Julie Andrews and it turned into Cloris. I didn't see that at all. Carrie Ann told her that it wasn't great, but it definitely wasn't Cloris. She also gave her some good advice, to trust Jonathan and to let him lead. She received two 6's and a 5 for a score of 17.

Lawrence (LT) / Edyta came out next. I used to have such the crush on this man ... sigh. Unfortunately, he looks like he will be the one to break the streak of football players doing well and going far. Emmitt, Jason and Warren he is not on the dance floor. I was quite disappointed. He was so worried about looking like a fool, that he didn't enjoy himself and it showed. This Cha-cha was pretty bad. The judges pretty much agreed with me, but gave him some useful advice for next week. They gave him a 6 and two 5's for a score of 16.

This next couple surprised me. My original predictions had Steve-O being one of the first to go, but maybe not. The Steve-O / Lacey combo make a good team. He's got a rough row to hoe, though. He's balancing DWTS with rehab and he said that this week, "I wanna put my foot in the Waltz's butt". I really enjoyed their Waltz, it was fun to watch. Not perfect, by any means, but very entertaining. I was impressed at how seriously he is taking this. The judges, however, didn't like it as much as I did. Len admitted that he expected much worse, Bruno called it a big pile of slapstick, but fun. Both he and Carrie Ann told him that he needed to work on his technique. They gave him two 6's and a 5 for a score of 17.

I have no clue who this Gilles guy is, but they called him the "Sexy Naked Neighbor". Uh yeah, he IS sexy and the Cha-Cha that he and Cheryl did was HOT. The judges agreed complimenting him for pulling it off and Cheryl for the choreography. He probably has the smallest fanbase, so he's gonna have a hard time staying in this thing, but if it was based on performance alone, Cheryl could possibly be on her way to her third trophy. The judges gave them three 8's for a score of 24.

The real life couple, Chuck / Julianne, were next. They are gonna ram this real life couple thing down our throats until we puke. I was already rolling my eyes at them before they even hit the dance floor. In spite of myself, however, I kind of liked their Waltz. It wasn't my favorite, and she has some work to do to get him up to championship status. The judges thought that it had good spots, but that it was also hectic at times. Bruno said that it looked like he was chasing her at times, and the Lift Police (Carrie Ann) said she caught a lift. They got two 7's and a 6 for a score of 20.

Next we had our first replacement dancer. Tom introduced Holly Madison as Jewel's replacement. They made sure to let us know that she had been on the cover of Playboy 4 times ... whatever. She only had one week to prepare this Cha-Cha with new pro Dmitry Chaplin from So You Think You Can Dance, and it looked it. I didn't like it at all ... all flash, no substance. All she did was shake her fake boobs and her butt. The judges liked it better than I did with only Bruno honestly critiquing her by telling her that she lost the timing quite a few times. The judges gave her three 6's for a score of 18.

Ty was up next with his partner, new pro Chelsie Hightower, also from SYTYCD. She is just cute as a button and may give Julianne a run for her money for the cute little bubbly blonde role. Poor Ty, though. I think he just did this for his wife, Jewel, and now she's out. He looked so awkward and uncomfortable with this cha-cha. This man has no rhythm. The judges, other than Bruno, struggled to find something kind to say. Bruno said it looked more like an army drill than a cha-cha. The scores were also brutal, two 5's and a 4 for a total of 14.

The next couple is one that I was waiting for. Shawn Johnson / Mark Ballas did a very pretty waltz. When they showed the practice clips, I was a bit worried because she came across as very young and immature. Gotta remember that she is a very sheltered 17 yr old. While it was a pretty waltz, you could see her gymnastics with some of the awkward arm movements. She had a tendency to throw her arms out there instead of letting them flow. The judges agreed and enjoyed this performance with Carrie Ann almost in tears. Bruno and Len both commented on the gymnastic arm thing, but were very impressed. She got two 8's and a 7 for a score of 23.

Then came another cringe moment. Steve Woz is a typical nerd. This co-founder of Apple Computers even came out to his 1st meeting with his pro on a Segway. He's really sweet and a big teddy bear. He said that he just wants to prove that nerds can dance. I have only two words to describe his and Karina's Cha-Cha ... oh my. Len said that the good news was that it held his attention, but it was a disaster. Bruno called him a teletubby gone mad and Carrie Ann siad that he was what the show was about, taking the celebrities out of their comfort zones and doing something new. The judges gave them two 4's and a 5 for a score of 13.

I had no expectations for the next couple. In fact, I had them pegged as early exits, too. David Alan Grier is another comedian that I don't find particularly funny and I didn't know if he'd take this seriously. He started off on the wrong foot trying to joke with poor Kym Johnson, who didn't get his jokes at all and didn't know how to take him. They did a Waltz to one of the worst renditions of "You Light Up My Life" that I've ever heard. And it wasn't half bad. You know I'd forgotten that he'd worked with Carrie Ann, when she was a Fly Girl on "In Living Color" and she warned him to be careful with his facial expressions while he danced, they could be distracting. Bruno also commented on his face and said that with his face he was 4 or 5 different characters in that one dance. Len said that it was more good than bad, lol, but that his bum sticks out when he dances. This couple received two 6's and a 7 for a score of 19.

My Maks was up next with his partner Denise Richards. I don't know what to make of her. Something about her bugs me, but I can't root against her because I wanna watch Maks. What a conundrum. Whoa, this chick may not last long though. Maks had her in tears already! We all know it takes a strong woman to deal with Maks, and that's usually who they give him. Either they screwed up, or she's stronger than she's coming across. Their Cha-Cha was just okay. I didn't really enjoy watching her dance, and she distracted me from watching him! The judges all saw some potential there with Bruno saying that she has it all, but doesn't know what to do with it. I guess time will tell. In the meantime, the judges gave them three 6's for a score of 18.

And last but not least, the replacement dancer for Nancy O'Dell. They tried to keep this one undercover, but they did an awful job of it. We got to see Jason from The Bachelor dump this poor girl twice in this show, once instead of practice film. Melissa and her partner Tony had two days to learn and practice this Waltz, good thing she has a dance background. Good job! She's a very pretty dancer, you can see her ballet training. All three judges agreed with Len and Bruno calling Jason a loser. She received two 8's and a 7 for a score of 23

There you have it. A very long evening with lots of dancing and information. No Tuesday show this week, but if you go to the website, they are doing the Design-A-Dance thing again. This week, the vote is for the style of dance. Next week, the stars dance again Monday and have an elimination show on Tuesday. The scores from this week and votes will count toward that elimination. Gilles and Cheryl top the leaderboard this week with Shawn and Melissa close behind. Bringing up the rear is Steve Woz and Ty Murray.

What did you think? Were the scores justified? How did your favorite do and who did you like the most/least this week? Comment below or email me at ladytex@tvfunspot.com