• 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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  • Maksim Chmerkovskiy reclaims ballroom glory on 'Dancing With the Stars'

    ABC.com

    Maksim Chmerkovskiy on 'Dancing With the Stars.'

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Tony Dovo-who? Tristan Mac-whatzit? On Monday night's "Dancing With the Stars," several pros who aren't currently competing in the ballroom bash returned to tackle the show's latest theme, but there was no hiding the real main attraction.

    Forget the other pros! Forget the theme! (Really -- more on that later.) Heck, forget the stars! Monday was all about the return of ballroom bad boy Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

    For only the second time since Maks first joined "Dancing" back in season two, the fan favorite isn't a regular on the dance floor -- and the producers clearly knew just how much he's been missed.

    An opening group routine first showcased the popular pro with plenty of fanfare as he took his former fiancée, Karina Smirnoff, for a spin across the floor. But that was far from the only glimpse viewers got.

    The easy-on-the-eyes pro returned -- twice -- for head judge Len Goodman's Side-by-Side challenge. The idea was to feature a pro couple showing off their perfect moves before the stars hit the floor alongside them. That posed a problem many times over the course of the evening, because ... well, pros are better than amateurs -- and it shows.

    But there was one time the gimmick worked. That's when Maks (and fellow pro Anna Trebunskaya) joined his brother Val and this season's "Dancing" queen, Zendaya on the dance floor. Maks and Anna attacked the routine, and Val and Zendaya matched them move for move until they broke off for their own intense Argentine tango. For both Zendaya and her pro, the dance was a first -- not that anyone would have guessed.

    "It was like a lemon tart: sharp and tangy at the top, crisp and tasty below," Len boasted before giving the perfect-appearing dance a 9.

    As for Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, they handed out the first 10s of the season for the effort.

    While getting the highest score of the season so far, Val took the opportunity to remind viewers of Monday's tragedy in Boston. "These are our first 10s, and I don’t want to overdo the subject, but I wanna dedicate these 10s to everybody in Boston," he said. "Honestly, this is a difficult show to be part of right now, and I just hope we’re doing something special for everybody."

    Though Maks helped Val and Zendaya rocket to the top of the scoreboard, it's not as though he could make every other couple look that good. When he and Anna paired up with the always-entertaining Jacoby Jones and Karina, the skill gap was hard to ignore in their jive. Maks didn't hold back for his part, but Jacoby just couldn't keep up.

    Despite high praise from the panel -- and high scores in the form of two 9s and an 8 -- the wide receiver was clearly exhausted as the extra-long dance went on and on, long after his best content ended.

    Maks hung up his dancing shoes for the night after those routines (though fans can expect to see more from him on Tuesday's results show), but the dances continued to suffer with the other pro pairings.


    In fact, the only other couple that did the challenge justice besides Zendaya and Val was their closest competition in the ballroom, Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough. Teamed up with troupe dancer Henry Byalikov and Anna (again!), the pair shined in a Foxtrot that marked Kellie's first traditional ballroom number and her best score yet -- a matching set of 9s.

    Point-wise, Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas (who took the floor with Tony Dovolani and trouper Whitney Carson) trailed Kellie by just two, but the booty-shaking samba lacked finesse and synchronized moves. The latter of which was a problem time and time again.

    Despite Len's early assurance that the challenge meant "every move, every step must be perfectly in synch," they just weren't -- not when Sean Lowe attempted to redeem himself after last week's flubbed performance with a 24-point quickstep with his partner Peta Murgatroyd (and Tristan MacManus and Chelsie Hightower); and certainly not when Ingo Rademacher hit the floor for a 21-point cha-cha with Kym Johnson (and Tony and Emma Slater).

    But Ingo deserves some credit -- his dance definitely deserved to outscore Victor Ortiz's lastest ballroom blunder (a Viennese waltz with Lindsay Arnold, Tristan and Emma), even though it didn't.

    As for the men frequently at the back of the pack on "Dancing," comedians D.L. Hughley (who moved with regular pro Cheryl Burke, as well as Chelsie and troupe dancer Sasha Farber) and Andy Dick (who grooved with partner Sharna Burgess, and Sasha and Emma), their tango and paso (respectively) kept them pulling up the rear with 18 points each, but both put their hearts into the dances -- as they always do.

    So who should say "so long" on Tuesday night? It's not too soon for Victor to go, but the funnymen will need plenty of fan support to stick around again.

    What did you think of Maks' performances? Which star should go Tuesday? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • 'Dancing With the Stars' fans bash ballroom cast, lack of Maks

    Adam Taylor / ABC

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Fans eager for the return of reality TV's ballroom bash finally got the big news they've been waiting for on Tuesday: The 11 familiar faces set to grace the dance floor when the next season of "Dancing With the Stars" kicks off were revealed. There's just one problem. According to many of those fans, the faces weren't that familiar at all.

    It's a common complaint for the show each season. The word "stars" may be in the title, but some feel the definition is stretched.

    "I guess I'm really showing my age, but I have only heard of (Wynonna) Judd and (Dorothy Hamill)," reader Lin Redfield posted to our Facebook page. "I have no idea who these other people are."

    The others in question happen to be Super Bowl champ Jacoby Jones, actor D.L. Hughely, Lisa Vanderpump of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," boxer Victor Ortiz, actor-comedian Andy Dick, "American Idol" alum Kellie Pickler, soap star Ingo Rademacher, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and Zendaya of Disney Channel fame.

    But the truth is, Lin was hardly alone in wondering about the so-called celebrity identities.

    "'With the Stars'!!!???? Who the heck are 8 out of 11 of those names?" reader Julaine Schexnayder asked. "I have never heard of them so how can I care if they do well or not! I will bet you this, however, the winner will be someone with a well-known name today, not an unknown."

    In fact, the complaint about unknown or little-known "stars" was echoed again and again, leaving some to suggest the successful reality TV staple was starting to lose touch with the modern boob-tube world.

    "Dancing With The Stars: where The Lawrence Welk show meets The Love Boat," Kevin Doyle joked.


    But it wasn't just the celebrity casting news that had fans in a tizzy. While the participating stars -- or well, close enough -- gave viewers plenty to talk about, so did the absence of one ballroom pro.

    For only the second time in his 13 seasons with the show, popular pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- aka the bad boy of the ballroom -- won't be dancing alongside one of the hoofer hopefuls, and faithful fans weren't pleased about that.

    "OMG! will I miss Maks? thats an understatement," Linda Benincasa Fabiano told us. "It will not be the same without him. Not sure if I will be as dedicated to the show now that he is taking a leave."

    Kathi Johnson agreed, telling us, "(It's) disappointing, he was one of the highlights of the show."

    According to the "Dancing" powers-that-be, Maks' absence is just routine.

    "We frequently rotate the professional dancers, so it is not unusual for them to rest a cycle,” ABC said in a statement.

    But on Twitter, a reader who goes by JoJo pointed out, "The funny thing is they said they frequently rotate dancers, but I seldom see them rotate Derek (Hough) and Mark (Ballas), or Kym (Johnson)."

    That's an especially interesting point in the case of Derek, who announced he was leaving the ballroom last season only to return once again.

    What do you think of all the casting news? And which stars would you have rather seen join the ballroom bash? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Maksim Chmerkovskiy won't be 'Dancing With the Stars' in season 16

    D Dipasupil / Getty Images

    Maksim Chmerkovskiy is taking season 16 of "Dancing" off.

    By Anna Chan, TODAY

    When "Dancing With the Stars" unveiled its season 16 lineup Tuesday morning, one very popular pro was not included: ballroom bad boy Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

    Rumors had surfaced in the days prior that Maks wouldn't be participating in the show this upcoming season, and Tuesday, he confirmed the news to TODAY.com.

    "I just want to set the record straight to all of my amazing fans that I will unfortunately not be returning for this season of 'Dancing With the Stars,' " he said in a statement. "I’ve been a pro dancer on the show for about seven years now and am eager to explore other opportunities that have been made possible because of 'Dancing With the Stars.' I'm going to take this time to dive into producing and acting, while fulfilling my sponsorship obligations.  

    "A big thank you to all of my fans for your never-ending support. I also want to thank the entire cast and production of 'Dancing With the Stars.' "

    "We frequently rotate the professional dancers, so it is not unusual for them to rest a cycle,” ABC said of Maks taking a break. "We appreciate each of our dancer's dedication to the show, so this is a very difficult decision. Anna (Trebunskaya), Chelsie (Hightower), Maks and Louis (Van Amstel) continue to be a part of the 'Dancing With the Stars' family."

    This isn't the first time the passionate dancer, who joined "DWTS" in season two, has taken time off from the show. He took season six off after finishing second with Mel B. in season five.

    Maks, who has always stood up for his partners on the show when he felt they were unfairly critiqued, has famously sparred with judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba for several seasons. In season 13, he even told head judge Len during a critique of partner Hope Solo that he should retire, and cursed Carrie Ann backstage to reporters.


    Though the Ukranian pro is taking time off to pursue other interests, the ballroom won't be Chmerkovskiy free. Maks' little brother, Val, is returning for his fourth season, and is paired with teen Disney star Zendaya.

    "Dancing With the Stars" kicks off on March 18 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

    Will you miss Maks? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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