The second couple to be eliminated is...

...further down the page.

The two hour results show continues.  Except the first hour is a countdown to the Live Results show, which is the second hour.

There were some good pieces among the filler, most notably Kym Johnson to David Arquette: "You keep looking at my boobs!" when he wasn't paying attention.

Demi Lovato sang a lovely song and The Script performed too.

The final three left were Chaz, Elisabetta and David.  Tom Bergeron made the point that the last two would be the actual bottom two.

And Chaz and Lacey were safe.  Does that imply they weren't the third lowest couple?

And Elisabetta and Val were eliminated.  Despite improving significantly from last week in terms of judges' scores and just dancing better, Elisabetta still didn't get the votes she needed.  I'm still not quite sure why she was one the show to be honest.  Val will be missed.

Note that David was the second lowest, so he's going to have to do better next week!

Week 2 Scores

Ah, Grumpy Len.  Good to see you again.  The Len that turned up last week was a shadow of his former self, I'm glad you found your way!

As you can guess Len wasn't very happy this week.  It wasn't so much that people were "messin' abaht" it was more directed at the choreography.

This week some people did better than I expected, some did better than I hoped and some did slightly worse.

Here are the judges' scores:

• Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 19 - didn't get much practice in because of a game.  I thought she was good but kept forgetting the steps.
• Kristin Cavallari & Mark Ballas - 22 - much better than last week
• David Arquette & Kym Johnson - 18 - he had fun
• Elisabetta Canalis & Val Chmerkovskiy - 21 - very much better than last week
• Rob Kardashian & Cheryl Burke - 21 - Rob seemed to settle down a bit better this week
• Carson Kressley & Anna Trebunskaya - 18 - Carson can't dance
• Ricki Lake & Derek Hough - 23 - very good Jive.  Derek is obviously a good teacher
• Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer - 17 - this was the slowest Quickstep ever.  Chaz was injured (knees) and was obviously uncomfortable.
• Chynna Phillips & Tony Dovolani - 21 - Chynna was conservative but still impressive
• Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus - 21 - she was much better than last week and I actually quick liked her footwork
• J. R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff - 22 - JR gave the best performance but Carrie Ann marked them down for a lift, and Len marked them down because he said it was a Lindy Hop  

JR, Chynna and Ricki are still my picks for the finals.

This Week's DWTS Results Show is Slightly Less Controversial

ABC are going for a more low key results show after last week's appearance of Chris Brown caused some discussion in the tabloid section of the internet but didn't really affect the actually show.

Selena Gomez (not the one that went into rehab - that's Demi Lovato) will be appearing singing her song "Who Says".  I actually like this song, and I've liked Selena Gomez since I saw her on Barney (which my kids of course).  The press release sort of spoils it by calling the song "an up-tempo paean of self-empowerment".  I think it's just quite catchy.  Mark Ballas and Chelsie Hightower will be dancing along.

Also appearing with be OneRepublic who will sing twice.  The first time will be "All The Right Moves" with the "troupe" dancing to it, and the second will be "Good Life" accompanied by Dmitry and Lacey on the floor.

The main reason for the show will be to eliminate a couple of course.  I think it'll be Wendy/Tony or Sugar Ray/Anna.  Who do you think?

The First Celebrity Voted Off DWTS 12 is...

...further down the page.

The first results show of season 12 was actually relatively filler-free.  Early in the season there are lots of celebrities to put under the lights I guess.

The show had a couple of dances from the new pro dance troupe.  They played them up a lot but they only did one real set.  Maybe they'll dance more in the future.

They also had a singer.

The first group of celebs to be told their fate were the sports stars.

Hines was safe, Chris was safe, Sugar Ray had to wait "to find out his fate".

They miked up the dancers this season (or at least I never noticed before) and you heard them talking to each other.  It was really interesting, especially Louis is a chatterbox while actually dancing!

Next group - actors (some unkind people might say the wrestler should be in this group - I'm never unkind...).

Ralph was safe.  Kirstie was safe.  Chelsea and Mark waited in anticipation...and they were safe too.

Romeo and Mike next - Romeo safe, Mike still in jeopardy.

Final group - Petra, Kendra and Wendy.  Wendy was still in jeopardy.

And then Mike Catherwood was voted off Dancing with the Stars season 12.

He accepted it very graciously, and actually danced better when he was goofing around at the end than he did in the competition.

Mike is an incredibly nice guy who can't dance and has a small fan base.

Bless him.

Who'll go next week?  We shall see!

Who Will Be The First To Go Home in Season 12?

I have no idea.

Here is the distribution of the judges' scores:


Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff 10.6%
Hines Ward and Kym Johnson 10.4%
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 10.2%
Romeo and Chelsie Hightower 9.9%
Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke 9.9%
Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas 9.2%
Kendra Wilkinson and Louis Van Amstel 8.7%
Petra Nemcova and Dmitry Chaplin 8.5%
Sugar Ray Leonard and Anna Trebunskaya 8.0%
Wendy Williams and Tony Dovolani 7.3%
Mike Catherwood and Lacey Schwimmer 7.1%

These are combined with the voters' scores to give the overall rank and then the lowest is sent packing.

I guess the bottom five are all pretty close with Mike needing only 0.2 percentage points more of the viewers' vote than Wendy to be safe as an example.

The popular view is that it's gong to be Mike or Wendy but people vote on who's the best, not who will go home, which is a lot harder to get at.

Dial Idol has a system where they measure busy tones on the phone but the sample sizes aren't big enough to give a clear view.

I would have to go with Mike simply because he doesn't come with a broad fan base.  We shall see tonight!

DWTS Week 2 - Who Got Better and Who Didn't?

Warning - spoilers below.

The couples danced a second time tonight before they learn who would be first to go home in the results how at 9pm tomorrow night.

One of the big shocks came early with Brooke Burke trying to look like a piece of licorice. There is probably a schoolboy joke in there somewhere - you're welcome schoolboys.

And so we come to the main event - the dancing. The order was mixed up from last week and I may not get it exactly right but here are the scores (combined with week 1 in parentheses) with some short and sweet comments:

• Sugar Ray Leonard and Anna Trebunskaya - 17 (34) - Sugar Ray had his upper body down great but his footwork "needed to be tighter"
• Kendra Wilkinson and Louis van Amstel - 19 (37) - the fact that Len called her breasts "chesticles" was the most memorable moment might tell you something about the performance...
• Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke - 23 (42) - Chris was amazingly light on his feet for a big man and seemed to impress the judges.  He also referred to his own chest as "chesticles".
• Petra Nemcova and Dmitry Chaplin - 18 (35) - There is no doubt Petra tries hard but she always seems as though she is doing a chore - even when Dmitry is ripping her clothes off.
• Mike Catherwood and Lacey Schwimmer - 17 (30) - a better performance from Mike this week - the jive is probably more his thing.  Still can't dance though.
• Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - 20 (43) - the quickstep isn't Kirstie's dance, I wonder if Maks was confident that they wouldn't be eliminated and deliberately chose it?  Her footwork was good (again).
• Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas - 18 (39) - Oh My. It was Bristol and the Gorilla Suit all over again.  From Len: "...you're on a sticky wicket..", "..messin' abaht and larkin' around"
• Wendy Williams and Tony Dovolani - 17 (31) - Wendy was more comfortable this week but I think it's hard for someone with her body type to be a graceful dancer.
• Romeo and Chelsie Hightower -  23 (42) - very good performance from Romeo.
• Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff - 21 (45) - a great performance that came over as being a little cocky.
• Hines Ward and Kym Johnson - 23 (44) - Excellent performance from Hines.  He has a good chemistry with Kym.  Perhaps it's because they can't understand each other.

Mike Catherwood and Wendy Williams are the ones that seem to be in the most danger.  It all depends on the viewer votes of course!

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!

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)