NEWS'DWTS' Watch: Audrina Waltzes to the Top With Tribute Dance
Oct. 5 2010, Published 3:42 p.m. ET
Audrina Patridge and her partner Tony Dovolani won Monday night on Dancing with the Stars for the first time, scoring a 26 for their moving waltz. While The Hills beauty and Tony glided to the top, however, comedian Margaret Cho and her partner Louis Van Amstel wound up with the lowest score, an 18.
OK! GALLERY: DWTS CONTESTANTS HAM IT UP ON THE RED CARPET
As the ten remaining couples hit the dance floor, they knew Jennifer Grey had been number one for the past two weeks. But on a night in which each pair had to tell a story through their dance, Audrina and Tony had the best one, the story of a Marine coming home to his wife. Judge Len Goodman raved, “You dance with your heart.”
After the show, Audrina told OK!, “I feel very accomplished. It was amazing. We really just got lost in the dance. Everything else is a blur. We wanted to dedicate it to the troops and make it a tribute dance — everyone who’s lost someone in war and everyone who’s died on behalf of us in America.” The dance succeeded on every level and impressed both the judges and audience.
On a more lighthearted note, Tony, who promised to get his legs waxed after losing a bet with Audrina last week, underwent the delicate procedure. He told OK!, “It was crazy” but now “my skin is nice and smooth.” Audrina added, “It was painful watching.”
OK! GALLERY: THE STARS GET READY TO REHEARSE THEIR RUMBAS!
Meanwhile, those watching Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough must have been surprised that they faltered a tad this week when Judge Carrie Ann Inaba deemed their samba “a little out of sync.” But they still got a strong 24. Also scoring 24 were Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, whose samba sizzled. Brandy told OK! after the show that she felt a sense of freedom this week. “This was the first time I ever had fun where I didn’t worry about anything but just doing my best.” Brandy and Maks debunked the recent rumors they aren’t getting along, fueled by last week’s rehearsal footage that showed her berating him. But Maks said on Monday night, “We realized how we are very similar in certain things. There’s a connection. We’re cool.” Brandy agreed, telling Maks, “you don’t put me down. You make me stronger.”
Basketball player Rick Fox, his pro Cheryl Burke by his side, was thrilled with his score of 24 for a sexy samba that had ladies drooling. He had his shirt unbuttoned for the dance and said, “I’m used to standing in the corner and using the neck up and this required me using some hips.”
Rick was in a three-way tie for second. There was also a two-way tie for third, as both football star Kurt Warner and actor Kyle Massey earned a 23.
Catching up with OK! backstage, Kurt admitted it was a rough week for him and pro Anna Trebunskaya: “I hit a little bit of a wall. Our rehearsals weren’t quite as lively because of that. I really don’t know what it was — but tonight felt great.” Indeed, as Kurt and Anna proved themselves expert at the Singin’ in the Rain-themed foxtrot which judge Carrie Ann called “so charming!”
Kyle and his partner Lacey Schwimmer were relaxed after they performed a waltz on DWTS. The young Corey in the House star, 19, is slimming down and he even skipped his usual pre-dance meal: “I didn’t want to make the pizza guys drive in the rain,” he laughed of a drizzly day in Los Angeles.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
OK! GALLERY: DANCING WITH THE STARS CONTESTANTS COMPETE TO REHEARSE
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino was given a 20 with partner Karina Smirnoff and told reporters afterward about his futuristic foxtrot, “I felt pretty good. I really worked very hard. I haven’t partied. I haven’t gone out. All I do is do dance steps for six to eight hours a day and I go to sleep. My most enjoyable time is when I’m watching TV from maybe 12 to 1 a.m. and then I go to sleep. That’s the most time that I have for myself. I’m extremely tired.” Judge Len Goodman found it a “bizarre performance” but The Situation is sticking to his plan to try to learn how to dance. “Everybody knows I know how to party — but I’m trying to show that side of a person that’s hardworking, that’s trying something totally out of my element. It takes a lot of courage. Some people are overlooking that. I don’t want to go home.”
Tying Mike’s score, Brady Bunch legend Florence Henderson glided away with a 20 after she and Corky Ballas did a waltz to the Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. Judge Len loved the dance, saying it was poignant and emotional. Florence, 76, and Corky shocked the audience — and even themselves — by ending their dance about two lovers with a long kiss. When asked about it after the show, Corky revealed, “That was not planned but it felt right to do it. I was so engulfed in the role so when I laid it on her, she laid it on back.” But could the chemistry overlap into real life? “That will remain a mystery,” Corky joked.
OK! NEWS: AUDRINA EXPLAINS HER DWTS WATERWORKS — "MY BOYFRIEND AND I WERE FIGHTING"
Judges criticized teen activist Bristol Palin for not showing enough personality on the floor and gave her a 19 for her foxtrot which was about helping those in need. Afterwards, standing with partner Mark Ballas, who played a homeless man in the dance, Bristol told OK!, “I thought we danced well. I thought the footwork and the hands were good but I know what the judges were talking about—that it wasn’t emotional enough and didn’t have that much acting in it but that’s just something to work on.” Bristol confided her father, Todd Palin, also gave her some advice similar to the DWTS judges! “My dad actually called me last night. He was like, ‘you’ve really got to get into character.’ This is coming from the most monotone person in the world. He’s like, ‘you just gotta go for it.’ And it’s just funny coming from my dad,” she smiled.
Earning the lowest score of the night was Margaret Cho. Her 18 in the samba with Louis Van Amstel was predictable, as she lost steam halfway through it. And judges didn’t seem to grasp her storyline—a plea for everyone to be accepted for who they are. Margaret is devastated about the gay teen who recently committed suicide, she said backstage. “If you have a moment when you can tell the world something, that is so valuable, to reach out to these kids is more important than anything to me,” revealed the funnywoman, who danced to Copacabana and wore a rainbow-colored costume. It’s still a dance competition, however, and Margaret had to hear the DWTS judges sound off. “You lost your timing,” judge Bruno Tonioli sniffed. Margaret shrugged, “they’re tough on everyone but I’m not physically adept. I’m not an athlete. I’m not in the same physical league as some of these people who are very ‘in’ their bodies. I’m learning this and growing so I don’t take it personally.”
Tune in to Tuesday night’s DWTS elimination show to see if Margaret has to take some bad news personally — or if viewers send another celebrity packing instead.
