How dare The View involve Maks in their petty disputes! People magazine reports that as Rosie O'Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck were having it out onstage last week, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Laila Ali, of Dancing with the Stars fame, were waiting backstage, feeling awkward. Well, and I guess Joey and Kym were there too:
"All four of us were at a loss," Dancing with the Stars' Maksim Chmerkovskiy tells PEOPLE of his time waiting out the argument with dance partner Laila Ali and fellow Dancing stars Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson. "It was a straight-up brawl."
Chmerkovskiy says the guests had been warned by View staffers that the show could get "intense" – and it quickly did. "At first everyone was sort of laughing, [like,] 'See, I told you it gets intense.' Then it was like, Okay maybe it's one of those very intense ones. But people were still giggling. But then it became a fight between Rosie and Elisabeth."
What made it particularly shocking? "It was like a domestic dispute, like relatives fighting. We came to their house and we were witnessing something a little embarrassing. It was really uncomfortable."
At the commercial break, Chmerkovskiy recalls stone-faced View staffers running out of the room to deal with the fallout. Actress Alicia Silverstone, who was also in the greenroom, was not happy that her segment was next: "She was like, 'I don't want to go on now.' She had one of those hyperventilating moments where she was like, 'Okay, I'm really nervous.' "
But the show went on, and Chmerkovskiy and Ali performed their dance without incident. "It was like nothing had happened," he says. "I thought great, this must be a normal day at The View."
I'll miss you, Maks! At least he made it all the way to the end. Sigh. How much longer till we get to see sparkles and see through shirts (and that's just on the men)? It was an eventful week, full of outstanding performances. Wouldn't you agree this was the best finale ever? I'd say so.
The freestyle performances were a fun way to end the show. I was convinced it was down to Joey and Apolo after Laila and Maks pretty much failed to impress during their freestyle (and you know it pains me to say that). Apolo ended up winning and I think it was definitely well deserved after the progress he made and the performances he gave.
'NSYNC fans go two little hellos during Joey's performances. If it was a ploy for votes, it worked on me. In the cha-cha, we got the marionettes from No Strings attached (I couldn't help but think that the ruffles weren't doing Joey any favors, by the way). In the freestyle, we got the little stomping/lasso move from the choreography to It's Gonna Be Me. I know, I have issues. I think their freestyle was the best DWTS performance I have ever seen.
Maks and Laila Free Style - Yes! The Kid n' Play! Thank you, Laila, for ripping Maks' shirt off (twice). I didn't know I had been waiting for it all season until it actually happened.
After watching this week's shows, Annie is convinced there's a little something something going on between Apolo and Juilianne. There was some "almost kissing" and petting moments during their performances and she did recently call off her engagement. I think I'm going to have to keep my eyes on those two.
Here are some clips for you to treasure until next season:
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson dance the Freestyle:
And the Cha-Cha:
Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy dance the Paso Doble:
And the freestyle:
Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough dance the Rumba:
And the freestyle:
A fitting way to end this season? The hilarious Jimmy Kimmel DVD commercial:
Why do I love Maksim Chmerkovskiy so much (and yes, I am showing off the fact that I can spell his name)? I generally don't like the bad boys. I'm going to need to think about this. I might need some therapy.
The stars seemed to really let loose this week. Maks and Laila's cha-cha was definitely my favorite, with the cute butterfly at the end (and not just because I love Maks). Joey and Kim had lots of fun, Apolo got all funky and Ian wore a freaking Elvis suit.
Is anyone surprised that Ian left? Was anyone even rooting for him? The way The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars are going this season is astounding - each week the right person goes home. If only the same could be said about American Idol.
I'm still disappointed that there wasn't an NSync reunion this week, but I'm still holding out hope that JT will ditch Jessica Biel and fly across the pond to support the Fat-one.
In other DWTS news, did you hear that Karina and Mario moved in together? People is reporting it, so that means it must be true, right? Getting pretty serious for Mario, who is typically a man-whore.
People also has some behind the scenes scoop of what went on this week, including the professional dancers' reaction to the flamenco dancer on the results show, the news that Joey Lawrence will return for the second Dancing with the Stars tour, and from Monday's show, all the deets on Apolo's 25th birthday party.
Here are some video clips from this week's episodes:
Enrique Igelsias performs Hero while professionals perform:
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson perform the Jive:
and the Foxtrot:
Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy perform the Cha-Cha:
and the Quickstep:
Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke dance the Jive:
and the Tango:
Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough dance the Cha-Cha:
I have two words to say about last night's results show for Dancing with the Stars: Center Stage. Ever since that kick ass performance by Maks and his brother to Canned Heat, I have felt like watching that movie four times in a row. What's that? Karina and some other chick were dancing with them too? Oh, I didn't notice them. I watched it three times, even with all the head flicking by Maks.
This was a stellar week for Dancing with the Stars. We had judges yelling and getting all up in eachother's grills, we had a paddle/computer malfunction, we had Muhamed Ali in the audience and, best of all, we had Billy Ray Cyrus going home. Even his most diehard fan had to admit that it was time. Seriously.
TV Guide focuses on Dancing with the Stars this week and even includes the opinions of the judges on the final five. Only the pieces on Joey and Laila are included online. For Joey, who has lost 25 pounds, Carrie Ann Inaba says he is a true performer: "He knows how to switch it on and off. Sometimes I think he overrelies on his humor, which could hold him back in the long run because that can get tired."
The magazine offers a little inside dish on the relationship between Laila Ali and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, they often "butt heads," she says. "And not in a good way. Maks has a teaching style that he likes and he’s not gonna change." Maksim Says "Laila’s got to keep bringing the funk, her flavor, her personality. We had that problem in the paso doble, a complicated routine, and she was so preoccupied that she couldn’t bring it. She just wasn’t comfortable with the steps."
Bruno had this to say about Laila: "I love the fact that she’s a real woman," says Tonioli. "Curves in all the right places and proud of it. She’s stunning and dances beautifully, so smooth and silky. What she has to watch in the ballroom dances is not to tighten up. If you tighten up, you tend to look a bit rigid." I'm a Maks fan, so it pains me to say it, but I think that after Ian goes home next week (is there any doubt about that?) Laila will be the next one to go. I think she peaked too early in the competition.
Since I can't leave you without any information about the cuter than cute couple of Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough, I thought I'd share this story from People. The 18-year old Julianne is engaged, but she decided to postpone the wedding from this summer to a later date due to her busy schedule with the show. Hmmmm. Interesting, no?
Check out some of this week's peformances and let us know who you think is headed home next. And make sure you go add Center Stage to your Netflix (unfortunately, no one has posted that video online, so that's as close as you are going to get!).
Laila and Maks perform the waltz:
Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough perform the paso doble:
Tony Dovolani and partner perform while Nelly Furtado sings "I'm Like a Bird":
Louis Van Amstel and Cheryl Burke perform as Nelly Furtado sings a new single:
This was the first week of Dancing with the Stars that I have been upset with America's choice on who went home. Does anyone think Billy Ray Cyrus should still be there? Or is this a Vote for the Worst kinda thing? Maybe he's got the Tween vote since he's on the Disney show Hannah Montana? Who the heck knows.
TV Guide went behind the scenes this week and found out some good dish on Carrie Ann Inaba's notes from the judging. Here are some excerpts of the choice pieces:
Laila Ali: "I‘m so happy that Laila showed us the beef!" says Inaba. "She finally let loose. I knew she had it in her. And it wasn't in the way I thought she would do it. I thought it would be this very powerful and dramatic thing. But it was very light and elegant and graceful."
Apolo Anton Ohno: "Apolo had a rough night tonight," says Inaba. "I think Len was a little hard on him for the first round [the fox trot]. But Len is the ballroom expert, so maybe he saw things that Bruno and I didn't. But I think that critique rattled Apolo a little bit. Tonight, he had a bit of the Ian syndrome, in that he was in his head. And then he was off rhythm, he was dancing ahead of the beat, and he and Julianne weren't connecting. They were out of sorts with each other."
Joey Fatone: "Joey decided he was going to leave Apolo and Laila in the dust. He finally realized we're getting close to the end and now he's giving 100 percent. It's amazing he's done so well up until now. I feel like he's only been giving 85 percent."
Ian Ziering: "Ian finally came out of his shell," says Inaba. "Authenticity reads so well on this show. When Ian's not comfortable, it shows. Tonight he decided, ‘You know what? I have nothing to lose.' He had a few missteps. But we're going to see a lot of growth in him. And he saw how the people reacted, so I think it's going to be a little addictive for him."
I pretty much agree with Carrie Ann, but I didn't think Apolo did that bad this week! Poor Julianne had the front of her dress fall off on national television, leaving only a sheer layer with her white bra showing through. Give them a break!
Sadly, my favorite thing about the the episodes was looking at who was in the crowd. There was a little 90210 reunion, with Tori Spelling, Jason Priestley and Jennie Garth. Mario Lopez, who is still dating Karina Smirnoff, and his mom were there to cheer her on. Shandi and Brian were there, too. When do you think Justin Timberlake will show up to cheer on Joey? Can't he get his priorities straight and put his tour on hold to be there?!
Here's some video from this week's episode.
John Ratzenburger and Edyta Sliwinksa do the foxtrot:
And the rumba:
Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff do the waltz:
And the samba:
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson do the foxtrot:
And (my favorite of the night), they did the jive:
Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke to the tango:
And the mambo:
Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough perform the foxtrot:
And the mambo:
Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy perform the quickstep:
And the samba:
The professionals dance while Meatloaf performs Bat out of Hell:
You know why people like Dancing with the Stars (other than the silly costumes)? Because it's freaking fun. It's easy to get jaded about reality TV, but Dancing with the Stars just embraces its cheesiness and goes with it. Plus, the stars really try hard (even Billy Ray, in his sad, sad, way).
This week's standout for me was Joey. Partly because JC Chasez was there (are we working our way up to Justin?) and partly because I freaking love the song they danced to. Joey got his groove back this week and showed some amazing dancing skills.
Maks and Laila also wowed me. Although, I think Maks should be limited to only one head flicking thingy per episode. He had about 10 of them, which made it seem rehearsed and dorky instead of spontaneous and hot. The first one, I liked. The last one, I was annoyed. It's hard for me to criticize Maks, so you know I really mean it.
Was anyone else underwhelmed by the group dance and totally wowed by the professionals' performance with Joss Stone? The group dance was just all over the place and confusing. I have no idea what they did at the end, but whatever it was, it didn't work. And I think Julianne's brother should join the cast next year - he rocked!
I think it was time for Heather Mills to go home, so I can't say I'm too sad about it. Who's next? Billy Ray or John? Here are some videos from this week's episode.
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson perform the Samba:
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Laila Ali do the cha-cha (now you'll notice the head flicking):
John Ratzenburger and Edyta Sliwinka do the mambo:
The paso doble that sent Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts home:
Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke perform the paso doble:
Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough perform the rumba:
Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff perform a sorta-jive:
Julianne Hough, her brother Derek Hough, Tony Dovolani, and Elena Grinenko perform as Joss Stone sings:
I called Joey Fatone as the winner of Dancing with the Stars waaaay back when this season started. I got a little worried last week when I couldn't help but agree that he looked pretty feminine during his performance (couldn't Kym see it?). But, I think he will be back this week with a vengence. In fact, I'm sure of it!
TV Guide sat down with Joey to get the dish on what the show is like. Here are a few excerpts.
TV Guide: It looks like you've lost some weight. How are you doing it? Joey Fatone: I'm on NutriSystem. I started about two weeks prior to the first rehearsals. I lost about six pounds those first two weeks. And then when I started dancing with Kym [Johnson, his professional partner], the weight really started coming off. I was 235 pounds when I started. Now I'm 216. It's pretty cool to see my stomach get smaller.
TV Guide: What's the difference between the physical demands of touring with 'N Sync and DWTS? Fatone: When I was with 'N Sync, it was demanding to be rehearsing constantly. But this? You're doing it every day, and it's a different dance every week. That's what's really crazy about the whole thing. You're learning these routines and steps that my body is definitely not used to at all. It's intense.
TV Guide: What are you thinking in the 10 seconds before you hit the dance floor? Fatone: Don't screw up, don't screw up, don't screw up.
TV Guide: You've been married since 2004. Does your wife, Kelly, have any problems with you dancing with a gorgeous blonde? Fatone: No, because she's pretty secure with herself and she trusts me. Also, she's seen a lot of gorgeous blondes screaming for 'N Sync, so dancing with Kym is not a big deal.
TV Guide: What has Kelly said about your dancing? Fatone: She danced when she was younger — ballet and ballroom — so she understands it. She'll tell me, "You did OK." And then she'll critique me a little bit: "Don't slick your hair back again, it's not attractive. Not attractive at all."
TV Guide: How about your 6-year-old daughter, Brianna? Fatone: She said, "You did good." She had a little project for school and she wrote about Daddy doing Dancing with the Stars. It was really cute.
TV Guide: Have you heard from your old bandmates? Fatone: Yeah, all four of them. I was at Justin [Timberlake]'s concert in Tampa a couple of weeks before I started the show, and he was like, "Joey Fatone's in the audience. You'd better win and everybody better vote for him." When he was doing the show in Pittsburgh, he held the show so he could watch me dance the first night, which was kind of cool.
TV Guide: Are you surprised by all the spray-tanning among the ballroom pros? Fatone: Yeah, they're telling me that I've gotta get a tan, and I'm like, "What is your problem?" I mean, I've never seen so many men — metrosexuals, I guess, because they're very well groomed — all wearing very tight and open shirts. And I'm like, "Oh my god!" I can't see myself doing that.
TV Guide: Mario Lopez wouldn't wear rhinestones, right? Fatone: He wouldn't wear rhinestones, and I wouldn't wear a sleeveless shirt.
TV Guide: Why not? Fatone: Because I don't have muscles like he does.
TV Guide: Is it harder to dance at 30 than it was at 20? Fatone: Oh, yeah. Right now my feet are killing me.
It was Leeza Gibbon's time to go on this week's Dancing with the Stars. Now we just need to get rid of Clyde Drexler and we'll have a real dancing competition on our hands. Is that just me? It seems like everyone else has at least some talent or showmanship, with Leeza and Clyde having none of either.
I'm sad for Tony Dovolani though. I'll miss seeing him dance, but I am sure he will be back for some of the little shows that the professionals put on. Doesn't he choreograph most of those?
I was also glad to see the judges lay into the contestants for not being truly committed. They just don't have the polish that we've seen in previous seasons. Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Laila Ali especially let me down this week (probably because they have so much potential). I wish I could feel sorry for them, but if she didn't have time to committ to the show, why'd she do it? The most polished pair is clearly Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson. His natural dancing ability and charm are simply outshining everyone else, even if his moves aren't perfect.
Umm, were you as excited as me when Drew Lachey ran out and danced with the pros? I about peed my pants. That boy can dance and looks like he has fun doing it.
Here are some clips so you can see what I mean. These folks need to kick it up a notch.
Big and Rich's performance starring Drew Lachey:
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson perform the paso doble (featuring many shots of Fatone's buddy, Lance Bass):
Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts do the waltz:
Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff perform the paso doble:
Clyde Drexler and Elena Grinenko do the waltz:
Apolo Anton Ono and Julianne Hough do the waltz:
John Ratzenburger and Edyta Sliwinska perform the paso doble:
Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke try out the waltz:
And, the performance that got Leeza Gibbons and Tony Dovolani kicked off Dancing with the Stars:
It was only a matter of time before the folks behind the popular Dancing with the Stars leveraged its popularity into other venues, and that time has come. Dancing with the Stars: Cardio Dance is your opportunity to bring a few of the shows' stars home with you, and get a workout in the meantime.
Three of the professional dancers are involved with this one, Ashly, Kym and Maksim, and they'll guide you through heart-pumping dance routines (six in all), complete with big band music and colorful sets. Just for the Maksim drool-factor alone, it just might be worth picking up. Cha-Cha anyone?
So I am an idiot. I forgot to set up TiVo to record Dancing with the Stars last night. They are going to take my reality TV fan membership card away. Luckily, the B-list stars on the show have a cult-like following and posted videos on You Tube for our viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
Former Miss USA Shandi Finnessey and Brian Fortuna :
Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. I'm loving Maksim's hair:
Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts:
Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff:
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson (crappy video, but you get the idea) I'm calling it now. It's all about Joey, he will win. And yes, I am still an NSYNC fan:
Do you think they gave Joey to Kym because they felt bad for hooking her up with Jerry last year?
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How dare The View involve Maks in their petty disputes! People magazine reports that as Rosie O'Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck were having it out onstage last week, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Laila Ali, of Dancing with the Stars fame, were waiting backstage, feeling awkward. Well, and I guess Joey and Kym were there too:
is your opportunity to bring a few of the shows' stars home with you, and get a workout in the meantime.
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