• D.L. Hughley on 'Dancing With The Stars' exit: My heart is sad, but my knees are happy

    By Michael Maloney, TODAY contributor

    Craig Sjodin / ABC

    D.L Hughley.

    When you recall that he scored a mere 12 points in his first week, funnyman D.L. Hughley actually had a decent run on "Dancing With the Stars." But that stint came to an end Tuesday night after he and pro partner Cheryl Burke were voted off the show.

    “My heart is very sad, but my knees are happy as heck,” Hughley told reporters after the live broadcast. “We took the ride as long as we could.”

    Burke said the comic had a backup plan had he not been sent home since, starting next week, contenders are going to have to start performing two routines.  

    “He said he was going to pull a hamstring,” said Burke, who only sounded like she was half-joking.

    Hughley credits his and Burke’s supporters for keeping them in the game this long. He hopes to take any new fans he's made with him when he launches a new animated sitcom on FX in the near future.


    Burke, as is standard with eliminated pros, will continue to make appearances on "Dancing" results shows. She’s also had a meeting with producers of "The Bachelorette," in hopes of headlining an upcoming season, but fans won't catch her there any time soon.  

    “It’s not up to me,” she shrugged. “They’ve already picked their new bachelorette.”

    Oh, and speaking of "The Bachelor," Tom Bergeron was just setting up a joke on Tuesday's results show when he said that there was going to be a televised wedding special in August featuring Sean Lowe and his fiancé Catherine Giudici -- hence the confused look on Lowe’s face! The host was poking fun at Lowe’s budding “bromance” with Tristan MacManus.

    An ABC rep told Today that no such wedding special has been confirmed.

    Will you miss seeing D.L. Hughley on "Dancing With the Stars"? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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  • D.L. Hughley eliminated from 'Dancing With the Stars'

    Adam Taylor / ABC

    Comedian D.L. Hughley and pro partner Cheryl Burke were eliminated Tuesday.

    By Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributor

    More Maks! More Val! More … Andy Dick?!

    Tuesday's "Dancing With the Stars" results show devoted extra airtime to hunky brothers Chmerkovskiy and declared surprising fan favorite Andy safe, so nearly everyone was a winner.

    Except, of course, for D.L. Hughley. The comedian and his partner, Cheryl Burke, were sent home after placing in the bottom alongside boxer Victor Ortiz and Lindsay Arnold.

    (Soap star Ingo Rademacher and Kym Johnson, the first pair declared in jeopardy, were spared.)

    After a rocky relationship with the judges -- especially the harshly critical Len Goodman -- D.L. was rewarded with a standing ovation from all three fault finders.

    Even Tom Bergeron praised the comedian: "I know this has been a bit of a roller coaster, but I applaud how well you've handled the criticism, my friend," he said. "Really."

    Hughley left with a good-natured crack at his "verbal assaulter": "Len, you need to watch your hip action," he teased about the elder statement's show package. "The hip replacement Bruno said I should have, I'm willing to you."

    Fortunately, we saw much more of Val and Maks' hip action than from Len or D.L. Tuesday night.

    First, Len granted the wish of Jacoby Jones -- and viewers who wanted more Maks -- by asking the NFL star and Karina Smirnoff for an encore of their jive. (Anna Trebunskaya partnered with Maks, but he also gave his former fiancée another kiss after the dance.)

    Another bonus? Val heating up the dance floor with Oksana Dmytrenko after a commercial break!

    The cherry on top of this delicious Chmerkovskiy sundae came from some practice footage, which could sub as a preview for the Ukrainian brothers' reality show. (Make it happen, TV gods!)

    "When something's wrong with him, I get b------ at like it's my fault," Maks grumbled, and said Val escapes their mother's wrath only because "I don't let anything go wrong with me."

    "Bro, you're one big wrong already," retorted Val. "My whole life!"


    (More hilarity ensued when they each threatened to tattle to "mama" and "papa." Adorbs.)

    The other performances of the night included Tristan MacManus and Witney Carson dancing to The Band Perry's "Better Dig Two," Tyne Stecklein and Jeremy Hudson twirling around Kerli as she sang "Love Me or Leave Me," and Selena Gomez getting sweaty while she appeared to lip-synch her new tune "Come and Get It."

    Next week, Stevie Wonder will be in the house! Tom revealed that the dancers will perform two group routines, with Team Paso taking on Wonder's "Higher Ground" and Team Samba performing to "Superstition."

    Asked about his preference, Andy delivered a wisecrack that left even Tom speechless.

    "I want to be on your team, Kellie," he told his co-star, "just so we can call it Team Pickler Dick!"

    "For the first time in 16 seasons," said the Emmy-winning host, "I got nothing."

    What do you have to say about this week's results show? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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  • D.L. Hughley talks about being 'verbally assaulted' on 'Dancing With the Stars'

    By Michael Maloney, TODAY contributor

    Craig Sjodin / Craig Sjodin / ABC

    For the first time ever, "Dancing With the Stars" presented Prom Night, and the only person who had a worse time at a high school dance than D.L. Hughley was Sissy Spacek’s Carrie.

    After the funnyman performed a routine on a 10-foot-by-10-foot box with pro partner Cheryl Burke Monday night, Hughley faced stern and negative comments from judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli. The latter critic said that Hughley’s salsa, which required hip action, was more like a “hip replacement.” (Ouch.)

    “I don’t have any disappointment,” Hughley told reporters in the press line after the show. “I’d have to have some level of expectation, and I don’t. I don’t see things the way they do.”

    The news wasn’t all bad. Burke noted that judge Carrie Ann Inaba was a bit kinder and more constructive in her comments, pointing out that the dance competition is about the individual’s improvement --  and that Hughley has been improving.

    "She’s so right,” Burke said. “It’s about baby steps. They really need to judge D.L. against himself.”

    Still, the comments from the male judges were stinging.


    “I know how to deal with hecklers,” Hughley said. “But I think they obviously have a way of doing things, and I don’t fit into that. That’s just how it is.”

    Host Tom Bergeron allowed Hughley to speak to the judges on-air immediately after they gave their critiques, which allowed the comic the opportunity to fire off a few crowd-pleasing zingers.

    “I don’t like being verbally assaulted without having the opportunity to retaliate,” he explained.

    Hughley, who has lost seven pounds since joining the show, can’t believe that he wasn’t the lowest scoring celebrity of the night. That distinction belongs to singer Wynonna Judd, who earned only 15 points for her samba (compared to Hughley’s salsa, which got 16 points).

    “I can’t believe anybody scored lower than me,” he marveled, hastening to add with scores so close to each other, celebrity fan bases are going to be crucial.

    “If my fans want me to stay, then I’ll stay,” Hughley offered. “If they don’t, then I’ll be off. But you know what’s cool? If I get kicked off before I do the waltz, then I’ll have to take my wife ballroom dancing so I can do the waltz there.”

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  • 'Dancing With the Stars' dig: D.L. Hughley explains his Whitney/Bobby comment

    Craig Sjodin / Craig Sjodin / ABC

    By Michael Maloney, TODAY contributor

    Funnyman D.L. Hughley is still in last place on the "Dancing With the Stars" leaderboard heading into Tuesday night’s first elimination show, but the funnyman won a victory of sorts Monday with his much-improved quickstep with pro partner Cheryl Burke.

    After their dance, Hughley joked to co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet that he and Cheryl "were doing our Whitney (Houston) and Bobby (Brown) imitation for a little while," referring to the duo’s tense spat that was shown in the pre-taped video segment shown before their dance.

    Did Hughley plan the remark about the late pop singer’s reported tumultuous relationship with her ex -- or did it hit him in the moment?

    "Of course, it was spontaneous," Hughley told The Clicker after taping. "Let’s be realistic -- I’m a comedian. Even if I danced the quickstep to perfection, people aren’t ever going to watch me do it (outside of this show). They want me to try hard while I’m here."

    So Hughley’s remark begs the question -- who’s the Bobby and who’s the Whitney in their dynamic?

    "I’m ‘Bobby,’" quipped Burke, hastening to add that the tension shown in the video package was a mere few moments of a week-long rehearsal. "D.L. did an amazing job. You can’t even compare his performance from last week. He put so much time into rehearsals and he worked so hard."

    "I feel exactly the same way,” Hughley added. “I know if I work hard, I’ll keep improving."


    Still, going into Tuesday night’s elimination with a mere 28 points means Hughley could be going home. But no one can take away his improvement from Monday night.

    "No matter what happens, I didn’t let the bully take my lunch money," he said.

    Hughley wasn’t the only star to get improved comments (if not improved-enough scores) from the judges. Actor-comedian Andy Dick (who had the support from former cast members of his sitcom "Less Than Perfect" in the audience Monday) recalled getting a rise out of judge Len Goodman during his Mad Hatter-themed jazz dance.

    "I saw Len biting his lips so he wouldn’t laugh," Dick said. "We (actually) made him laugh."

    Dick’s partner, Sharna Burgess, seemed to be handling her role as Dick’s pro partner, therapist and BFF like a seasoned pro -- not someone brand new to the show.

    "Yeah, I’ve been in the industry for a long time," she told The Clicker. "I’ve been on Broadway and made my mark as a dancer. This is about being here for Andy’s journey."

    Do you think D.L. Hughley will still be in the ballroom bash after Tuesday night's elimination? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • 'Dancing With the Stars' judges rob Andy Dick and D.L. Hughley

    ABC

    "Dancing With the Stars" pro Sharna Burgess with celeb partner Andy Dick on Monday night's show.

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    "Dancing With the Stars" originally kicked off with a simple premise: Take a group of non-dancing celebrities (or former celebrities ... or almost celebrities) and train them to move and groove from scratch.

    Sure, over the years a few ringers have joined the ballroom bash, and it's always fun to see their near-perfect performances. But nothing is quite like watching someone go from left-footed fumbler to passable hoofer -- even if the judges don't always recognize the progress.

    Case in point? On Monday night, just two weeks into the competition, comedians Andy Dick and D.L. Hughley showed just how serious they are about turning their reps around, and it was a treat to behold the ballroom comebacks.

    Actually, Andy's week-one performance wasn't really a problem for a first effort; he outshined several competitors. But one thing was obvious -- he was scared. The rehabbed celeb shared his fear of the ballroom and of the bottle, and the fright showed on the dance floor.

    For his second performance, it was like a new man hit the stage. Dressed as the Mad Hatter and claw-dancing through Lady GaGa's "Poker Face," Andy's jazz routine entertained and raised his personal bar. Of course, he still has room for lots of improvement, but his newfound confidence and his daring approach put him way ahead of some (such as Ingo Rademacher and Sean Lowe, both of whom matched Andy's score of 20 points for less impressive routines).

    As for D.L., although the judges were unduly cruel in how they delivered their reviews last time, the truth is he was just awful in week one. In fact, had he simply come out and not delivered the worst dance of the night on Monday, it would have been considered a big improvement.

    But he did more than that. After a tough round of rehearsals -- featuring plenty of expletives and more than one remark about his "humiliating" treatment from head judge Len Goodman and the gang -- D.L. put his all into a quickstep that wouldn't have seemed possible just last week.

    "It doesn't matter where you start," Len said, remarking that it's all about improvement.

    Then again, Len's comments might have made more sense if he and the other judges didn't follow them up with a score of just 16 points. Those odd marks put D.L. two points behind three lesser dancers -- Wynonna Judd, who slowly moved her way through a quickstep; Lisa Vanderpump, whose jive lacked big kicks and solid footwork; and Victor Ortiz, who proved he really needs to find his own comeback after giving the jive a try.

    Of course, some contestants didn't need a comeback at all. Last week's leaderboard topper, Zendaya, continued to wow with a fast, precise jive that earned her 26 points and praise from the panel.

    "A star is born -- big time," Bruno Tonioli told her.

    But someone else is hot on that star's heels.

    Kellie Pickler, who showed promise with her cha-cha-cha last week, completely won over the judges with a modern jazz routine that showed off her near-perfect form. Carrie Ann Inaba called it "freakin' amazing," and the others must have agreed -- after all, she earned 26 for the dance.

    Relying less on form and more on fun, Super Bowl champ Jacoby Jones wowed the crowd with one heck of jazz number. The slightly goofy dance -- which got him 23 points -- played to his personality and showed that he can get the audience out of their seats. (And it was certainly more entertaining than the fine but forgetful 24-point quickstep Aly Raisman delivered.)

    Firmly in the back of the pack was for figure-skating great Dorothy Hamill. The gold-medalist was feeling pain in rehearsal thanks to a cyst and accompanying nerve pain, and when it counted, it showed in her jive. Missed marks and sloppy steps dominated the 15-point dance and left the judges little choice but to kindly mention all of the problems.

    To Dorothy's credit, when Len heard boos for his criticism, she defended him.


    "It's true," she told the crowd of her shortcomings.

    That was it for Monday's ballroom action. As for what's to come Tuesday night, someone's got to go. Will it be D.L., whose combined score for both weeks landed him in last place despite his turnaround? Or will Dorothy go for a more flubbed routine? Frankly, there are plenty of far from perfect hoofer hopefuls who won't be able to rest easy while they wait to find out the results. 

    What did you think of the week-two routines? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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  • Wynonna Judd, Dorothy Hamill and more to go 'Dancing With the Stars'

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    Dorothy Hamill, D.L. Hughley and Wynonna Judd are among the stars ready to go "Dancing."

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    In just three weeks, glitz, glam and a whole lot of spray tan return to prime time as "Dancing With the Stars" kicks off its 16th season. The battle for the mirror-ball trophy will see 11 stars -- or reasonable facsimiles -- face off for ballroom bragging rights. But which 11 stars?

    ABC teased the first star Sunday night -- Super Bowl champ and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones. As for the rest of the cast, they were revealed Tuesday on "Good Morning America."

    Here are the stars and pro partners who'll soon get ready to rumba:

    • Wynonna Judd will dance alongside Tony Dovolani.
    • Dorothy Hamill will learn some ballroom basics from Tristan MacManus.
    • D.L. Hughley is set to perform with pro dancer Cheryl Burke.
    • Lisa Vanderpump will partner with new pro Gleb Savchenko.
    • Victor Ortiz will try out his fancy footwork with first-timer Lindsay Arnold.
    • Andy Dick will hit the floor with some help from yet another new pro, Sharna Burgess.
    • Zendaya is set to step out with Val Chmerkovskiy.
    • Aly Raisman and pro Mark Ballas will vie for the mirror ball together.
    • Kellie Pickler will waltz with Derek Hough.
    • Ingo Rademacher will perform with Kym Johnson.
    • And as for Jones, he'll be joined by pro Karina Smirnoff.

    See how well all of the hoofer hopefuls perform when the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" kicks off March 18 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

    What do you think of the cast? Take our poll below and then share all your thoughts about the new batch of ballroom beginners on our Facebook page.

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