It was elimination night on the ABC hit reality show Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday, May 12, 2009. It came as no surprise to viewers that cowboy Ty Murray and his pro dance partner, newcomer Chelsie Hightower had reached the end of their successful run. Notice that Hightower seems to be a Julianne Hough clone – not necessarily a bad thing!
The remaining three celebrity competitors will hit the dance floor next week in the final competition. The team to beat would appear to be Gilles Marini and his partner Cheryl Burke, who has previously led two partners to victory. They have led the pack consistently and received a perfect 60 points on Monday night.
Definitely in contention are Melissa Rycroft (scorned by The Bachelor) and her partner Tony Dovolani. Rycroft was unable to compete three weeks ago when she suffered a rib injury. The judges based that weeks scores on a rehearsal video and her fans came through with their votes. Her performances since that time have been less consistent but we fully expect her to shine next week.
Spunky teen Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and her partner Mark Ballas have remained popular with judges and fans alike. Johnson looks rounder and doesn’t carry herself in the same manner as the rest of her female competition but she has remained a steady competitor, bringing her A game week after week, no doubt a carryover from her years as an elite gymnast.
Our prediction is that Gilles and Cheryl will be the victors in this three horse race. Unless they make a costly mistake, their precision and chemistry should see them through. See Monday performance videos here.
The Dancing with the Stars finale will air May 18-19 on ABC.
Check out video below of Ty and Chelsie on Jimmy Kimmel last night.