Upside Down Voting on DWTS?

The thing to remember is that you vote for someone to stay, not for someone to go.

It was a shock that Shannen left.  It was a shock that Pam was in the bottom two. 

What's more of a shock?

• Buzz must have got 3.9% more of viewer votes than Pamela?
• Kate Gosselin's voting phone number had more busy signals than any of the others?
• My TV screen didn't crack under the weight of Kate's stare before she found out she was safe?

No.  The shock is how much people assume the judges' voting counts!

Buzz had the lowest judges' scores, Nicole the highest.  Buzz's share of the judges' vote was 6%, Nicole's a little over 12%.  That's only 6 percentage points difference.  A well orchestrated campaign by fans could easily wipe that out.  So Buzz getting 3.9% more than Pam isn't such a stretch.

As there are fewer couples the judges' votes become more important, simply because there are less people to share the votes.

It just shows that if you want someone to stay you vote for them.  Anything else that happens is pure entertainment.

Good stuff though!

The First to go in Season 10

We have had two weeks of competition and it's time to say goodbye to the first celebrity.

The final three were on the stage - Shannen, Kate and Pamela.

Kate was safe! She looked very happy - I'm not sure Tony was...

Two left.

And Shannen Doherty was voted off season 10 of DWTS.

Mark Ballas was injured and couldn't continue anyway, so it sort of worked out.

I'll produce a full post later.  Here is Shannen and Mark's jive:

It's Tantrum Week on Dancing with the Stars

The theme of this week's show seemed to be tantrums.

I know that tempers can get frayed with such an intense practice schedule, particularly with the egos involved.  And if cameras are there perhaps some of the stars (and professionals) play it up a bit.  Skilled editing can also accentuate certain areas.

But it really seemed to be overplayed this week.  Erin (sounding like Debi Mazar last season) telling Maks he doesn't listen, Maks replying "Tell me what I need to do" (same as he said to Debi).  Nicole got a little ratty when they discovered their song was not a traditional jive song, but a contemporary one.

And then there was Kate and Tony.

I'm not saying it didn't happen, but how it happened, when the cameras were there, does make me a little suspicious.  Perhaps if there were no cameras they would just plain squabble?  I don't know.  Anyway Tony walked out after an argument saying "I quit".  Kate looked crest-fallen as she whimpered "I don't understand".  But they made up and performed a really bad dance.  I've put the video at the end.

Here's a summary of each of the performances:

Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas - Jive - 20.  A better score than last week with Shannen seeming more comfortable.  She still seems a little heavy-footed to me, but has potential

Aiden Turner and Edyta Sliwinska - Foxtrot - 19.  Again a better score than last week and Aiden was certainly less stiff.  There seemed to be some friction between the two in practice.

Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya - Jive - 24.  Great at jumping (of course) and seems to be the guy that gets on with everyone.  The only way to beat Ms Scherzinger will be to improve every week and appeal to the viewers - which Evan certainly does.

Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel - Foxtrot - 21. A very nice number that showed off Niecy's personality and grace.  I'm not sure Louis quite knows what to make of her though.

Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower - Jive - 20.  Jake looked pretty good, with potential for improvement.  I think he probably deserved better marks.

Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa - Foxtrot - 12.  A very dignified performance, that was a little disappointing in that he seemed more uncomfortable than last week.  Perhaps he tried to do too much.

Nichole Scherzinger and Derek Hough - Jive - 28.  A "modern" jive performed beautifully (I didn't think you could perform a jive beautifully!).  Derek just teaches her the steps and away she goes.  Two tens from the judges.

Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Foxtrot - 23.  Erin did a lovely series of solo turns at the start that showed her confidence, but it trailed off a little as the dance went on.  If Maks trusts her with a solo this early she must have potential.

Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood - Foxtrot - 22.  Pamela dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, but still looked like Pam.  A solid performance that lacked the character of the previous week.  She's still one to watch though.

Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke - Foxtrot - 16.  I'm sorry, but Chad reminded me so much of Lurch from the Addams Family.  He really needs to stand straight and let Cheryl (the professional) deal with his height.  It was almost as though he didn't bother practicing this week.  I hope he stays, I do think he can do much better.  He was certainly contrite Twitter, bemoaning the fact he had let people down.

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani - Jive - 15.  Tantrums aside, Kate showed periods of actually enjoying the dance, but when she was unsure of the routine she seemed to freeze in the headlights.  A couple more performances might loosen her up - it's whether she gets the opportunity of course.

Buzz, Kate and Chad were the only ones to get lower marks than last week, with Buzz trailing badly in the combined scores:

The combined scores from weeks 1 and 2, and the share of the judges' vote:

Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough 53 12.4%
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya 47 11.0%
Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 44 10.3%
Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood 43 10.0%
Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower 40 9.3%
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel  39 9.1%
Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas 38 8.9%
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke 34 7.9%
Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska 34 7.9%
Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani 31 7.2%
Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa 26 6.1%

The judges' share is then combined with their share of the viewers vote and the lowest couple is eliminated.

That means, for instance, that Buzz needs only 1.1 percentage points more than Kate to be safe, or 1.8 points more than Chad or Aiden.

My guess is that it's between Buzz, Kate, Aiden and Niecy. We shall see!

Here's the Kate and Tony video:

Judges' Scores from Week 2 of DWTS

The celebrities are back!  In week 2 they have got to know their partners, and have already danced once.

That means they'll be better, right?  Well, some did better - especially Nicole, and some did worse, for example Buzz.

Here are the judges' scores in week 2, with the total of both weeks in parentheses:

• Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke - 16 (34)
• Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas - 20 (38)
• Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 23 (44)
• Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower - 20 (40)
• Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel -21 (39)
• Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya - 24 (47)
• Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa - 12 (26)
• Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough - 28 (53)
• Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska -19 (34)
• Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani -15 (31)
  
• Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood - 22 (43)

Nicole Scherzinger's Dancing Favorite Is....

Nicole Scherzinger has revealed who her favorite dancing idol is...Cloris Leachman!

She's up against some tough competition, but says she's taking some cues from Cloris and her performances on DWTS.

"I fell in love with Cloris Leachman when I saw her on 'Dancing With the Stars,' " she told MTV News.

She added : "Just the personality she brought to the performances was so infectious, I commend her, and I look up to her for that."

Nicole adds that she has her eye on Pamela Anderson -- "She is just fierce to me."



I have to agree that Pam is a little bit scary, fun though.

Beach Boys on First Dancing with the Stars Results Show

Continuing the anticipation that this will be a great season, ABC have announced that The Beach Boys will appear in the first results show of season 10.

John Stamos will join them (as a guest) on guitar and drums - so he WAS down to appear this time!!

There will also be a tribute to the victims of the Haiti earthquake disaster.  Haitian dancer Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine and several of Haiti's top ballroom dancers will perform a mambo to Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" on the stage.  There will also be an introduction by Wyclef Jean, and viewers will be invited to donate to "Hope for Haiti".

Oh, wait.  Someone is going to get voted off as well!  I had thought two couples will be eliminated, but only one pair will be sent packing.  I think a lot will depend on the second dance for all of the couples.  I guess Buzz, Aiden and Kate are most at risk, but you never know!

The results show will air at 8pm EST, March 30 on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars Gets Back to What It Does Best

A tremendous night on Dancing with the Stars - excitement, controversial judging, bad dancing (you know you love it), great dancing and not too many couples.

The producers have made a number of changes from last season, here are the main ones:

The Good

• 16 couples was too many - I had forgotten who had dancing at the start by the end.  11 is just right.
• A good cast selection - a couple of ringers (Evan and Nicole), a couple of stars with no real chance (Buzz and Kate), some with potential (Aiden and Niecy) and a maverick (Pam)

The Bad

• New scoreboard graphics - I think the paddles are enough!
• The Sky Box - first off, it's not very high and secondly it seems a bit clumsy to make the couple walk across the floor and up some stairs

Undecided

• Brooke Burke. I thought having a new co-host would give the opportunity to do things slightly differently (better).  Brooke was OK, but no different from what Samantha did really.  (Comment from a friend - "Hey!  That woman's got Samantha Harris' wig and dress on!")

Overall, the night was an improvement (although I enjoyed season 9) and gave a lot of hope for the season as a whole.

The performances:

Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke - Cha Cha - 18.  I think they must put a "middle of the pack" dancer on first so they have a base score to compare the others against.  Chad was pretty good, allowing some of his personality to come through, but not as much as I expected.  A solid start.

Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas - Viennese Waltz - 18.  Some good choreography from Mark, and Shannen gave a good performance, bolstered by the presence of her ailing father in the audience.  I was surprised at the number of tweets along the lines of "I liked Shannen and I didn't expect to". Perhaps the tweeters didn't realize she isn't the same person as they saw in 90210.

Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Cha Cha - 21.  Erin seemed to be a pre-season favorite but I didn't really know why people thought that.  However, her long legs and the presence of Maks made her one of the favorites to be around for a while.

Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower - Viennese Waltz - 20.  Jake did very well, but was a little stiff at times.

Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel - Cha Cha - 18.  Niecy dedicated her dance to thick girls everywhere.  As always, Louis got the best out of his partner and Niecy did very well for someone with no real experience.

Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya - Viennese Waltz - 23.  A very graceful performance as you would expect.  Evan must be one of the favorites.

Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa - Cha Cha - 14.  Got through the routine, kept to the beat.  He is 80 years old though, and no Cloris Leachman.

Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough - Viennese Waltz - 25.  One of the favorites, a ringer and currently the best dancer.  The choreography showed her best aspects.  I did agree with Len that her footwork looked awkward at times.

Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska - Cha Cha - 15.  Aiden was stiff, and Edyta did her normal thing of dancing around her partner.  I do think he has potential (just as Ty Murray had a bad first dance, but stayed around for a while).

Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani - Viennese Waltz - 16.  Live by reality, die by reality.  I don't know why Kate has so many detractors, she tried her best, was nervous and didn't do too bad.  She actually has potential I think, it's whether she has viewer votes.

Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood - Cha Cha - 21.  That woman is a performer!  And very, very flexible!  It was an electrifying performance that made you miss the fact she missed the beat quite often, and her feet only occasionally seemed to be in the right place.  She can only get better at dancing technique, the key is whether she can build up a viewer following.

Overall, I think Buzz and Kate are most at risk, but we have seen very different performances in the second week, and of course who can really say who the viewers will vote for?
Who was your favorite?

Dancing with the Stars 10 - Week 1 Scores

The season 10 premier features 11 celebrities and their professional partners.

In real time (until it's over anyway) here are the judges scores:

• Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke - 18
• Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas - 18
• Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 21
• Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower - 20
• Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel - 18
• Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya - 23
• Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa - 14
• Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough - 25
• Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska -15
• Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani -16
• Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood - 21

How to vote

Phone numbers for each of the contestants in DWTS 10

Almost all of the phone numbers are known for the couples in season 10.  I'll update this post when they are all available.

The phone numbers:

• Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke - 800-868-3401
• Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas - 800-868-3402
• Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 800-868-3403
• Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower - 800-868-3404
• Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel - 800-868-3405
• Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya - 800-868-3406
• Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa - 800-868-3407
• Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough - 800-868-3408
• Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska - 800-868-3409
• Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani - 800-868-3410
• Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood - 800-868-3411

And I've made a page on How to Vote.

Get Your Dancing with the Stars Videos Here!

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I had set up a DWTS video site.

Well, it now has over 2,500 videos of DWTS shows, dancers and celebrities!

I've set up a channel for each of the celebrities for the upcoming season.  I'm just filling them up with what's out there at the moment, but once the season starts we should have some great dancing videos!

The main site is DWTS Videos and the channels for each of the celebrities in season 10 are:

Evan Lysacek
Nicole Scherzinger
Erin Andrews
Chad Ochocinco
Pamela Anderson
Jake Pavelka
Kate Gosselin
Shannen Doherty
Aiden Turner
Niecy Nash
Buzz Aldrin

A lot of the videos are found automatically but I do cast my eye over them all.  Unfortunately some inappropriate ones do slip through!  If you do find any like that, please let me know, or report them.

Let me know what you think, and don't be afraid to add any videos you may find!

Betting Odds for DWTS Season 10

I noticed some odds for the celebrities in season 10 of Dancing with the Stars.  (I think the site was bodog.com).

For recreational purposes only, here are the odds:

Evan Lysacek: 2/1
Nicole Scherzinger: 3/1
Erin Andrews: 7/2
Chad Ochocinco: 9/2
Pamela Anderson: 12/1
Jake Pavelka: 16/1
Kate Gosselin: 16/1
Shannen Doherty: 16/1
Aiden Turner: 18/1
Niecy Nash: 25/1
Buzz Aldrin: 50/1
(For those that don't know, an example is one dollar placed on Jake to win will get you $17 back if he's the champion)

Sometimes bookmakers are the best indicator, and they obviously see this as a four horse race (with due respect to the celebrities, and horses for that matter).

Skaters have always done well (Kristi, Apolo), as have football players (Emitt, Jerry, Jason, Warren).  People who have dancing experience are always there or thereabouts (Mario, Mel B, Mya).

The thing that jumps out to me is how short the odds are on Erin is.  She may turn out to be a marvelous dancer, but nothing in her past shows she has any real dancing experience, she's not a trained athlete and she is popular among a very focused group - people (mainly men) who watch sports (mainly college) on ESPN.  Good luck to Erin, but I think she deserves higher odds than that.

The rest are considered to have no real chance, but you can't really tell until two or three weeks into the competition who the favorites are and who has no chance.


By the way, I'm really not encouraging you to gamble - that's a fools game!

Brooke Burke is the new Dancing with the Stars Co-host

Brooke Burke has been selected to replace Samantha Harris as the new co-host on Dancing with the Stars.

It was revealed on Good Morning America by her new colleague, Tom Bergeron.  Brooke wasn't able to be there, she was on vacation in Africa.

Brooke won (pretty easily I must say) season 7 of Dancing with the Stars with professional Derek Hough.

Having the experience of being a competitor should improve the back stage interviews.

Here's Brooke and Derek's freestyle in the finale of season 7:

Samantha Harris Replacement to Be Announced Monday Morning on GMA

Tom Bergeron alerted his Twitter followers to the fact that he will announce his new co-host for Dancing with the Stars on Good Morning America on Monday March 8.

The winning applicant will be at his side.

He also gave the clue that it was an ex-contestant.  That leaves out Vanessa Minnillo, who was rumored to be one of the candidates.

That leaves Brooke Burke, Melissa Rycroft and, possibly, Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls.

All have appeared on the show, but Brooke and Melissa were viewed as favorites as Mel B already had a gig with Dance Your Ass Off.

Melissa also helped Tom announce the cast for season 10 which many viewed as meaning she had got the job.

As Tom pointed out in a subsequent tweet, the announcement will probably be later in the show, rather than 7am EST when it starts.

The Cast of Dancing with the Stars Season 10 - Who Are These People?

The celebrities and their partners for season 10 of Dancing with the Stars have been announced!

We have two pilots (one flies a plane, the other a spaceship), a life guard, a police officer, a spy, an actress, a sportscaster, a clown, a mother, an Olympian and a dancer.

We also have a returning professional dancer and a brand new one.

Here are the couples:

Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani - Kate Gosselin is a mother of eight (six all at once), who appeared in the reality show Jon and Kate plus Eight.  She and Jon have since divorced and Kate seems to be looking for work.  She seemed to own the Today show during her break-up and has guest-hosted on The View.  Tony will have his hands full!

Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood - A diversifying figure, Pam came to fame as a life guard in the TV show Baywatch.  She has posed naked quite a few times (well, most of the time), and is an ardent supporter of PETA.  Damian comes from Burn The Floor, and has been thrown in at the deep end!

Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas - Shannen played Brenda Walsh, an aspiring actress, in Beverly Hills 90210.  She has a good partner with Mark, but actresses rarely get near the finals.

Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - The DWTS producers said they have been pursuing Erin since day 1.  She is an ESPN sportscaster, (in)famous for the stalker who took peephole videos of her.  She certainly showed her mettle is going after they guy.  Plus Maks is full of mettle too!  It just depends on whether she can dance...

Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel - Niecy plays a police deputy, Raineesha Williams, in the comedy show Reno 911.  To be honest, Niecy doesn't really have the body-type to be a ballroom dancer, but she has the best partner in terms of maximizing her strengths.

Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough - The pair to beat.  Nicole, of the Pussycat Dolls, is a dancer.  Period.  Derek has a huge fan base.  Add the two together and they are almost certain to be in the finals, if not champions.

Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke - As well as being an outstanding football player, Chad is a bit of a clown.  Football players traditionally do well, and Cheryl certainly knows how to win!

Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa - Buzz will get some patriotic votes, and I'm sure he's fit for his age.  But it's his age that will factor into this.  Ashly returns after appearing in seasons 1-3.

Aiden Turner and Edyta Sliwinska - Good-looking actor who plays a spy on All My Children.  Will definitely get the soap opera vote, but how long will he last>  Despite appearing in every season, Edyta never seems to get great partners.

Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya - A national hero, and skater - always been good characteristics to go far in the competition.  It's nice that Anna will have a chance of winning after waiting for a while,

Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower - Jake is a pilot and appeared in the Bachelor - a show who's sole purpose is as a lead-in to the DWTS cast announcement.  I have no idea why he's here.

I think the favorites are Nicole and Derek, and Evan and Anna.  But you can never tell until a few weeks in who really has the talent. 

(By the way, I got five of the contestants correct!  That's pretty good for me!)

The Celebrities on Dancing with the Stars Season 10

After what seemed like an eternity (or worse a Bachelor episode...oh, wait) ABC finally announced 10 of the 11 stars appearing in season 10 of DWTS.

They are:

• Actress and model, Pamela Anderson
• Football player, Chad Ochocinco
• Actor, Aiden Turner
• Sportscaster, Erin Andrews
• Actress, Shannen Doherty
• Astronaut, Buzz Aldrin
• Actress and comedian, Niecy Nash
• Singer, Nicole Scherzinger
• Skater, Evan Lysacek
• Reality TV star, Kate Gosselin
• Bachelor (sic), Jake Pavelka

There is one more star to be announced at the time of writing.

The pairings will be announced tomorrow on Good Morning America.

My Guesses at the Cast of Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars

Every season I make a little list of who I think could be on the show, based on the news and rumors floating around.

Every season I do really badly.

This season, as I now have one of these new-fangled blogs, I thought I would put it out there so everyone can see how badly I do.

The list below is NOT based on any insider knowledge, but on news articles, Facebook posts, blog posts and, of course, Twitter. It is CERTAINLY NOT a wish list. Believe me there are lots I would choose that are not on this list!

Think of it as the list you would have to make if you were tied up, tortured and threatened with Samantha Harris staying on the show.

Here we go:

• Actress and Model, Pamela Anderson - there has been a lot of rumors from a lot of sources (and some of them legitimate)
• Reality TV star, Kate Gosselin - spotted practicing dancing in LA, and people have tweeted she told them that she was appearing
• TV host and ex-MMA fighter Jason Chambers - apparently talked to the the producers once
• Rapper and former porn-star, Dirt Nasty - claims to have had a meeting with the producers, and what a great name!
• Football player, Chad Ochocinco - apparently has had talks
• Astronaut and automatic A-lister, Buzz Aldrin - a rumor that someone who has "walked on the moon" will be on the show (I still think it could be the drummer from The Police)
• Actress, Rebecca Budig - they haven't had a soap star for a while
• Actress, Tori Spelling - the only basis is a forum post that someone from 90210 will appear. She was also rumored to be appearing in season 9.
• Fashion designer, Vera Wang - also rumored to be appearing last season
• Actress, Jennifer Grey - a rumored contestant every season, it would be nice to see her on!
• Actor, Leslie Jordan - was rumored to be appearing a while ago. He would be a hoot!
• Skater, Evan Lysacek - Evan has said he would love to appear, but it does seem a challenge to get it organized and for Evan to clear his schedule. He was hanging out with Pamela Anderson on Saturday night though.

I got 5 out of 16 for season 9, I'd be really pleased with four correct this time!

We'll find out tonight, and we'll see how badly I did tomorrow!

How about you? Do you have a list?