Dancing with the Stars returned for a fifth week on Monday, and the stakes were higher than ever as the remaining celebs battled for survival.
Or not. There was no elimination this week!
It was something of an unusual night as longtime staple Maksim Chmerkovskiy joined the panel as guest judge, and Tom Bergeron returned as host.
Meanwhile, the contestants were paired with a different pro for one night only, and the combined scores (and votes) will be combined with next week.
As for the aspiring dancing sensations, some celebrities took the partner switch by the horns and thrived, while others faltered following the switch.
In the former column?
Alexa PenaVega, the former Spy Kids star whose tango with Derek Hough was so “incredible,” and had so much “authenticity,” according to the judges.
Her husband, Carlos PenaVega, finished just one point behind her perfect score, while fan favorite Bindi Irwin rounded out the top three on Monday.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tamar Braxton struggled with her new partner, as did Vine star Hayes Grier with the pregnant Allison Holker.
Paula Deen earned the worst score of the night, though she did earn modest praise from the judges, while Alek Skarlatos and Emma Slater hit it off.
Not technically – their score was tied for second-lowest – but personally, as the judges were pretty much overtly trying to set them up on a date.
So there’s that. The complete DWTS scores from last night:
- Alexa PenaVega and Derek Hough (tango): 40/40
- Carlos PenaVega and Lindsay Arnold (quickstep): 39/40
- Bindi Irwin and Valentin Chmerkovskiy (cha-cha): 37/40
- Andy Grammer and Sharna Burgess (Argentine tango): 36/40
- Nick Carter and Witney Carson (paso doble): 35/40
- Hayes Grier and Allison Holker (Viennese waltz): 30/40
- Tamar Braxton and Louis van Amstel (samba): 29/40
- Alek Skarlatos and Emma Slater (rumba): 29/40
- Paula Deen and Mark Ballas (jive): 26/40
Who do you think should get the boot next week (barring an unexpected turnaround in scoring, that is)? Who will win the Mirror Ball?
