'Dancing with the Stars' eliminates Jennie Garth and Derek Hough

Former Beverly Hills 90210 actress Jennie Garth and her professional partner Derek Hough were revealed to be the ninth couple eliminated from Dancing with the Stars' fifth season during last night's live results show broadcast on ABC.


"I have self-confidence, that's not my issue.  My issue is performing in-front of people and Derek brought that out of me,"  said Jennie after host Tom Bergeron revealed she was the ninth celebrity participant sent packing.  "I had such a great time.  My family was so supportive and here all the way, I just taught my daughter such an amazing lesson... I can't [believe I made it this far].  Just that I persevered through it all and Derek kept pushing me to do better and better."

Jennie and Derek finished as the week's lowest scoring couple based on a combination of the judges' scores from Monday night's performance episode, which featured each of the four remaining couples performing two routines, and home viewer votes cast following the broadcast.  For the third week in a row, Dancing with the Stars' results show did not reveal the identity of the week's second-lowest scoring couple.

Jennie and Derek first performed a tango during Monday night's performance episode, for which they received a 28 out of 30 possible points from the judges, tying their best score of the season.

"What I see your made out of is a lot, because you're certainly not giving up.  You're so determined Jennie," said judge Carrie Ann Inaba.  "You come out here -- you really struggle with yourself -- but you fight and you battle.  This time I think you beat yourself and I thought you were completely focused and in the dance.  The one thing that was only slightly missing was just a little bit of the chemistry between you... That was missing for me."


Fellow Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman said he disagreed with Carrie Ann's assessment that the tango lacked chemistry.

"I thought there was a chemistry between you," said Len.  "It had passion and it had energy.  I thought compared to your tango -- which I liked a few weeks back -- this was head-and-shoulders above it."

Third Dancing judge Bruno Toniolo compared Jennie to "a fury" on the dance floor.

"You did a very, very intricate choreography," said Bruno.  "Derek, your steps... absolutely great.  To take that on it takes a lot of guts and you did it."

Jennie and Derek's second performance during Monday night's broadcast was a cha-cha routine, which received a 30, the couple's first perfect score of the competition.  Bruno said he felt Jennie has "star power" during the routine and Carrie Ann thought it "finally came together" for the former 90210 star.


"I remember so clearly Week 1 of this season; [Jennie and Derek were the] first ones out to dance, [did the] cha-cha-cha," commented Len.  "What I thought was great was to see how you've developed as a dancer from that first week to now.  You were fantastic!"

Jennie and Derek's combined score of a 58 out of 60 possible points for their two Monday night routines found them in second-place on the judges leader board, and before there elimination was revealed, Carrie Ann sounded like she wasn't ready to see the couple go.

"Jennie has struggled through this competition, and last night, you blew us away with that performance," said Carrie Ann.  "You finally had a breakthrough.  It all came together. I want to see more!  More, more, more!"

Somewhat ironically Jennie and Derek finished Dancing with the Stars 5 in fourth place, which was the same place her former 90210 co-star Ian Ziering finished with his professional partner Cheryl Burke during the show's Spring 2007 fourth installment. 

Dancing with the Stars 5 was also Derek's first time competing in the show as a professional partner.


"Words can't express how I feel," said Derek following his elimination.  "[Jennie's] such an amazing, wonderful, funny woman.  I would not have wanted this experience with anybody else."

Tied atop the judges' leader board were IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves and professional partner Julianne Hough and Spice Girl Melanie Brown and professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- both of whom scored a perfect 60 out of 60 for their two Monday night routines.

Helio and Julianne scored a 30 for their foxtrot and for their cha-cha only one week after achieving their first perfect score, a 30 for their quickstep.  Mel and Maksim -- who received a 30 for their Viennese waltz and for their Paso Doble -- are no strangers to perfect scores during the competition.  The couple has achieved a total of four perfect scores from the judges out of their 12 performances during the nine weeks of competition.

At the bottom of the judges' leader board for the second week in a row were entertainer Marie Osmond and her professional partner Jonathan Roberts, who scored a 29 for their quickstep and a 27 for their mambo.  The 29 was their highest score so far in the competition

Similar to last week, home viewer votes were enough to place Marie and Jonathan ahead of Jennie and Derek and into the next week's finale.


"What I want to see next week are the best dancers in the finals.  So actually, neither [Jennie and Derek or Helio and Julianne] should be leaving tonight,' said Len before the results were revealed, a blatant shot at Marie for being the least-talented celebrity participant remaining in the competition.

Once it was revealed Marie and Jonathan were safe and had made it into the finale, Marie knew who to thank.

"We have the best fans in the world.  I mean it," said Marie.  "I am so grateful to all of you.  You just rock!"

Dancing with the Stars final fifth-season performance episode broadcast will air live on Monday, November 26 at 8PM ET/PT, with the three remaining couples each performing two new routines -- a judge's choice and a freestyle. 

Dancing with the Stars two-hour fifth-season final results show broadcast -- in which one of the couples will receive the mirror ball trophy -- will air on Tuesday, November 27 at 9PM ET/PT on ABC.

(Photo credit ABC/Carol Kaelson)






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio