Dancing With the Stars gives us a prom queen, a perfect score, and a shocking elimination
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Heartfelt tributes, perfect scores, and more than one sorrowful goodbye, Stars Stories week on Dancing With the Stars was like no other. Undoubtedly charged with emotion, the stars spoke about their most memorable year and their memories of high school prom over a special two-night event.
Just as it has in seasons past, Monday's Most Memorable Year night delivered on the tear-jerkers. The stars told stories of love, like Jordin Sparks' fairytale romance with her husband and Wayne Brady's sweet relationship with his teenage daughter, and stories of loss, like Shangela's leg injury and Gabby Windey's time working as a nurse in the ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The top three are tied no more! Charli D'Amelio, Brady, and Windey have all received the same scores for the last three weeks in a row but on Monday, D'Amelio became the real front runner receiving not only the first 10 of the season, but three of them, bringing her score to a 39. Brady was not far behind though as he performed a foxtrot honoring the year his daughter Maile was born. They went on to receive a score of 37 with Bruno pulling out a surprise 10 as the cherry on top.
The biggest surprise of the first night came after co-hosts Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro teased "big news that will change the entire competition" all night long. It finally came when Selma Blair announced that she'll be withdrawing from the competition due to health concerns regarding her multiple sclerosis. "With a chronic illness, you do need special considerations. My body is taking a hit. It's way too much for my bones," Blair told her partner Sasha Farber during rehearsals. She danced one more routine, a waltz to "What the World Needs Now" before tearfully saying goodbye to her cast mates, her son Arthur at her side. "This is a dance for everyone who had tried and hoped they could do more," she said. "But also the power in realizing when it's time to walk away."
Eric McCandless/ABC Selma Blair with partner Sasha Farber on 'Dancing With the Stars'
On Tuesday, the ballroom was decked out in balloons and banners to become the ultimate venue for Prom Night. Tons of fun music was featured like "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Waiting for Tonight," and Sparks' own song "No Air." Vinny Guadagnino, Trevor Donovan, and Brady experienced the prom they never had, Jessie James Decker broke away from her memories of high school bullies, and Windey brought back 2009 and got the first perfect score of the season with her and Val Chmerkovskiyl's tango to "Good Girls Go Bad," followed by Brady and partner Witney Carson also earning a perfect score for their samba to "It Takes Two." But seeing everyone's prom night photos from high school was the best part, especially Bruno Tonioli's flashback photo, which he saw and exclaimed, "That is a lovely twink!"
Then came the Dance Marathon, the high adrenaline dance off where the couples are packed on the floor like sardines to dance their hearts out. Each couple was tapped out by a judge until one pair remained, Decker and partner partner Alan Bersten just edged out Shangela and Gleb Savchenko to be named prom queen and king, and earn 11 extra points.
Eric McCandless/ABC Jessie James Decker and partner Alan Bersten on 'Dancing With the Stars'
In a final twist, fitness model Joseph Baena and his partner Daniella Karagach were eliminated despite overcoming a bout with COVID-19 and earning decent scores throughout the competition.
"I'll miss the fun of getting out there and showing all of the hard work, dedication and pain that we've put in all week," Baena, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, told EW at a post-show junket. "I'm competitive by nature. Everyone is like family here, competitors and friends."
"Last night's rumba was my favorite dance," he shared." "It meant so much to dance to such a powerful song."
Eric McCandless/ABC
Next week, we'll be feeling good as it's Michael Bublé night! The Grammy-winning artist will be a guest judge, and the couples will be dancing to the smooth sound of his voice. Is it too early to break out his Christmas album?
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