Dancing with the Stars: Lauren Alaina Foxtrots to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’
Which dance was your favorite?
We’re three episodes in on season 28 of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars and we’re already down to the Top 10 couples. The viewing audience has said their goodbyes to two celebrities including former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis who withdrew due to injury and Supremes singer Mary Wilson who was eliminated through the voting process.
As promised when the season kicked off, judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli are committed to having a more critical eye and it is being reflected in the scores. However this week, the panel welcomed season 17 contestant Leah Remini as a special guest judge which means the overall score was out of a 40-point total instead of 30.
Here we go!
Sean Spicer and Lindsay Arnold
Paso doble – “Bomboléo” by Gipsy Kings
Leah Remini: Sean is not a dancer, that’s very clear. But what I love about you, Sean, is that you are committed, you and try your best.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 21
Ally Brooke and Sasha Farber
Jive – “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner
Carrie Ann Inaba: “Trying to do Tina Turner is difficult. We have high expectations. But you nailed it.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 32
Kel Mitchell and Witney Carson
Cha-cha-cha – “If I Can’t Have You” by Shawn Mendes
Bruno Tonioli: “You’ve got the cha-cha-cha in your pocket. I saw your personality coming out. You were engaged. You were engaging…you only have to believe in yourself.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 32
Kate Flannery and Pasha Pashov
Argentine tango – “Hands to Myself” by Selena Gomez
Len Goodman: “The problem is all about expectation. Your quickstep last week was so fantastic and what I loved about it is you got right into the character. You struggled getting the character in the Argentine tango.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 26
James Van Der Beek and Emma Slater
Quickstep – “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves
Len Goodman: “Sometimes my scores don’t reflect my feelings. You are a terrific dancer. You have great movements, but I’m a picky sort of guy. I would have liked a little more in hold…but it was full of clever choreography, great movement, well done.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 28
Side Note: James announced that he and his wife are expecting their sixth child.
Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten
Paso doble – “I Love It” by Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
Carrie Ann Inaba: “I just wanted to say the comments are never intended to be hurtful. The comments are meant to help you get better and my comments worked because I don’t know if you all saw that, but there was a huge difference in the intensity and the way your whole body was engaged in every single movement.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 32
Lamar Odom and Peta Murgatroyd
Viennese waltz – “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal
Leah Remini: “I’m getting emotional, Lamar, because I don’t know if everybody knows how hard you work and how hard this is for you. And I think you did an amazing job.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 20
Sailor Brinkley-Cook and Val Chmerkosvskiy
Cha-cha-cha – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Len Goodman: “It’s another terrific performance. You really got yourself on a roll. This was a very well executed cha-cha.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 31
Lauren Alaina and Gleb Savchenko
Foxtrot – “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
Carrie Ann Inaba: “You have arrived. This dance was your dance. The way you sustained every movement…there’s a gravitas to you now.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 32
Side Note: Lauren’s cousin, Holly, was in a coma after suffering a brain bleed.
Karamo Brown and Jenna Johnson
Tango – “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
Bruno Tonioli: “You really turned on that kind of leading man attitude. There were no mistakes tonight.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 28
At the end of the evening’s performances, the two couples at the bottom were Lamar & Peta and Karamo & Jenna. After the judge’s scores were combined with the voting audience’s scores, the couple who would go home was Lamar and Peta.
