SAN DIEGO, May 8, 2012 – Whose fans came through for them this week? Was it the Packer Nation? Disney Channel viewers? People with nostalgia for Little House on the Prairie?
Competitors on “Dancing With The Stars” this week had very little margin for error with a double elimination looming. At this point, all the stars are competitive. Each performed their dances well, and some had their best night and best performances of the season.
After two dances each, only six points separated the couple at the top of the leader boardm William Levy and Cheryl Burke, from the couple at the bottom, Melissa Gilbert and Maks Chmerkovskiy. This is a mere ten percent spread.
So it truly came down to fans votes on tonight’s show decided who would go home. All season long despite being at or near the bottom of the leaderboard, fans saved Melissa Gilbert and Maks Chmerkovskiy. Last night Melissa and Maks were again in last place. Would they escape to dance next week?
Despite placing second overall Monday night, Roshon Fegan was sent home. Photo: ABC/Adam Taylor
At the other extreme, Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower found themselves in the dance duel two weeks in a row fighting to save themselves despite good scores because of a lack of fan votes. Monday night, Roshon and Chelsie were one point out of first place, just shy of a perfect 30 for an effervescent foxtrot. But high scores hadn’t been enough to keep them out of jeopardy before.
Meanwhile, fans continued to sound off on social media about Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd’s low scores and wondered why judge Len Goodman isn’t giving him better scores. He found himself in the middle of the pack along with Katherine Jenkins, who had what for her was a slightly off night.
Donald Driver’s many fans were incensed that his scores weren’t higher from the judges on Monday night. Photo: ABC/Adam Taylor.
The producers saw fit to send one couple home in the first half of the show. The top three scoring couples came out. William Levy and Cheryl Burke and Donald and Peta were declared safe and onto the next week. Sadly but not all that surprising, the first couple sent home was Roshon and Chelsie.
I’m definitely very happy that I can add ballroom dancing to my super-duper dance moves,” said Fegan.
Partner Chelsie Hightower said “He was such a joy to work with and came to work everyday willing to work and with such a great attitude … I’m happy to end it on a high note and I’m happy I had you as my partner.”
Maria Menounos won raves from the fans for her Bollywood trio dance routine, but judges were not so impressed. But fans saved her and she will be back next week. Photo: ABC/Adam Taylor
This left Melissa and Maks, Maria Menounos and Derek Hough, and Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas. The first couple safe and onto the next week of competition was a surprised and relieved Maria and Derek. Their mistakes couldn’t detract from the fans’ enjoyment of their creative routines.
Left standing: Katherine and Mark, and Melissa and Maks. But this time, the fans could not generate enough votes to save Melissa and Maks and they were the second couple eliminated.
Melissa Gilbert went out after her best week ever. Her crowd-pleasing trio dance with Maks and Val Chmerkovskiy will be an all-time audience favorite, not a bad accomplishment short of wining. It turned out to be Melissa’s 48th birthday. She said it wasn’t a bad day to go out. “I’m amazed I even made it this far,” said Gilbert. “The things that I was able to do and the things that were able to overcome to have been here on this day, does make it a really incredible birthday,” she added.
She praised Maks as “amazing, an incredible teacher, an incredible friend.” Maks called her the real comeback kid and said he wishes he could have given her a better birthday present.
So we are down to four couples: William and Cheryl, Donald and Peta, Maria and Derek, and Katherine and Mark. Which three will make it into the final? Watch next week with us on Communities, join our live chat, and find out.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday, May 14, at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time, on the ABC Television Network.
Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, is President/Owner of the Falcon Valley Group in San Diego, California. Read more Media Migraine in the Communities at The Washington Times. Follow Gayle on Facebook and on Twitter @PRProSanDiego.
Please credit “Gayle Falkenthal for Communities at WashingtonTimes.com” when quoting from or linking to this story.
Copyright © 2012 by Falcon Valley Group
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
