'DWTS' Backstage Report: Who's Going Home First? Also, Julianne Hough is Returning!
It's difficult to predict just who's going to be eliminated on tonight's results show of 'Dancing With the Stars.'The scores ranged from 14 for pro basketball player Ron Artest (a.k.a. Metta World Peace) to 22 each for singer Chynna Phillips and 'All My Children' actor J.R. Martinez.
Since Artest's pro partner, Peta Murgatroyd, is also new to the show it's not like she's bringing in a lot of votes. Still, pro athletes have always done well on 'DWTS.'
How did the stars and pro dancers think they did? AOL TV was on the post-show press line to get reactions.
Carson Kressley earned the Cloris Leachman award for being the evening's most entertaining dancer. "We're often up for the same roles," Kressley quips.
But how does his pro partner Anna Trebunskaya channel Kressley's energy in a positive way? "It's good that I know what he's going to do on the live show," Trebunskaya says. "We just need to improve the technique."
Kristin Cavallari concurs with the judges that she was more relaxed in rehearsals. "I feel like next week I can come out and hit it a little bit harder," she says. "I'll be more comfortable."
Rob Kardashian says he can't count on his famous sisters showing up each week to cheer him on. "I'd like that, but they're so busy," he says.
Ricki Lake had aches and pains after the show, but was thrilled to have received positive comments that she and partner Derek Hough danced as one.
"We felt very connected," says Hough. "Ricki's improvement from day one to now has been immense."
"And I am not a dancer," Lake says. "I was secretly hoping that Derek would be my partner. He's such a great instructor. It's not just that he's won three times. It's all positive reinforcement [when he teaches.]"
Hough gave reporters a scoop after the show -- his sister Julianne Hough, a two-time 'DWTS' champion, will return to the dance floor later this season. He zipped his lip on further details, however.
"I felt it could have gone better, but I had fun," says Elisabetta Canalis of her cha-cha with Val Chmerkovskiy.
"It was fun and I had a good time," says Chaz Bono, who had probably the most pre-show media attention since Bristol Palin took part in Season 11. "I really don't pay attention to the media much, but I have gotten a lot of great support from Twitter and Facebook."
Did Bono feel that producers had him dance last because his performance was the most anticipated?
"It's hard to go last," he says. "You have to sit around and watch everyone else go. You're nervous the longest, but other than that I didn't give it a lot of thought."
Bono definitely has an opinion on his pro partner Lacey Schwimmer. "She's amazing," he says. "She's fun. She's a great teacher, a great choreographer. She's just got the whole package."
Nancy Grace was pleased to hear from the judges that she appeared to have the most heart out of any of the celebrities. "I really do," she testifies.
But how did it feel to stand in front of judges and not argue her point? "I had to bite my tongue," she confesses. "But some of what they said was absolutely correct so I'm going to take it to heart and implement it next week -- I hope!"
Top scorer Chynna Phillips hopes to make it through to next week for two reasons -- she wants her exposure on 'DWTS' to help raise funds to build a dorm for 60 kids in Tijuana and she'd love to see her pro partner Tony Dovolani win the mirrorball trophy.
"Nothing would make me happier than to bring the trophy to Tony," Phillips says. "Also, people can go to my website if they want to learn about what I'm trying to do in Tijuana."
"I have someone who really wants this," Dovolani says. "I can't tell you how happy I am. It's rare that you come across someone as special as Chynna is."
"JR is really inspiring," says his pro partner Karina Smirnoff. "What I see at the studio with JR is the every day person. He's beautiful. I feel like a winner already."
"I feel amazing," Martinez says. "I stepped out of this comfort zone to take on this challenge."
David Arquette, who's paired with last season's winner Kym Johnson (who fortunately has recovered from the neck injury that she suffered last season), scored the emotional moment of the night when his daughter Coco showed such joy over her dad mentioning her in his post-dance on-air interview.
"I couldn't be happier," says Deena Katz, the show's casting producer of how Season 13 appears to be shaping up. "It's like when you have 12 of your kids going back to school. They've all exceeded what the audience was expecting."
Can Katz predict who might be leaving first? "It's absolutely impossible," she says. "I've had seasons where I got by accident people who were too good. But I've tried to make sure that celebrities don't come on with dance experience. That makes it more fun. It could be anyone who goes home."
'Dancing With the Stars' Season 13 airs Mondays and Tuesdays, 8PM ET on ABC.

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