On the Scene: Was Michael Bolton the 'Worst in 11 Seasons' of 'Dancing With the Stars'?

Michael Bolton was in the 'Dancing With the Stars' judges' doghouse last night. His jive with Chelsie Hightower, set to 'Hound Dog,' earned an awful 12 out of 30 points and was deemed by Bruno Tonioli as "the worst jive in 11 seasons."

"You did it all very, very, very badly," Bruno said.

Even Len Goodman -- normally the most critical of the judges -- found Tonioli's comments to be harsh. Still, he said Bolton's performance "probably needed a pooper scooper at the end."

But was it really "the worst" as Bruno called it? Vote in the AOL TV/Access Hollywood poll.



After the performance show, Mark Ballas had some choice words for the judges about their mean remarks toward the legendary singer.

"It was really hard for me [to listen to the judges' comments] because I am so close with Chelsie. She's a very dear friend to me [whom] I love very much," an angry Ballas told TV Squad. "I thought the judges were over the top and their [comments] were unnecessary and weren't constructive."

But Ballas lauded Bolton and Hightower for taking the criticism with "grace and class," adding "If that were me, I would have thrown my shoe at one of them. No one has to sit there and take that. It's Michael Bolton. The dude has sold more than 55 million records. He's one of the best vocalists of all time trying to do something new. Give him a break and be constructive. Don't be a jerk."

For her part, Hightower thought Bolton did well. "I think anyone who comes on this show and subjects themselves to this and put themselves out there the way Michael has -- it's a little uncalled for to go as far as Bruno did tonight. He's Michael Bolton," Hightower said.

Meanwhile, Bolton's fellow contestants believed his fans would help him stickaround. "Keep your head up. Never give up," advised pro Cheryl Burke, who's partnered with Rick Fox. "Michael has so many fans. They're going to pull it through. This show is all about the journey. He needs to forget about the scores and move on."

On the other side of the scoring spectrum was Jennifer Grey and her partner Derek Hough, whose jive won rave reviews and a score of 24. gave TV Squad an update on her neck pain. "My neck has been almost pain-free since my surgeries," she said. "I had been in chronic pain for years. Now, I feel fantastic!"

The evening's funniest moment came when Tony Dovolani was shown promising he'd shave his legs if the judges didn't give him and Audrina Patridge three eights. But while Carrie Ann Inaba and Goodman bestowed that score on them, Tonioli scored their quick step as a seven. So will Dovolani follow through?

""Yes. I'm definitely going to do it," he told TV Squad. "I'm a man of my word.

We can't wait 'til next week?