Las Vegas Weekly

September 23, 2008 · 8 AM

First night Dancing With the Stars injuries and results

By Robin Leach

Hometown singing star Toni Braxton and two regular Vegas visitors, Kim Kardashian and Lance Bass, were among the safe high-scorers on the premiere night of the new seventh season of Dancing with the Stars. Toni earlier this year had to give up her show at the Flamingo after doctors ordered her to completely rest after she was rushed to a Vegas hospital with heart-muscle medical problems.

One dancing couple will be eliminated tonight from the 13 celebrities and a second team will be sent packing tomorrow. Low scorers last night included celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito with 14, All My Children soap queen Susan Lucci with 15 and controversial 82-year-old actress Cloris Leachman who blasted the judges with a censored tirade over her 16 score.

The lowest score of the night -- a miserable 12 -- went to roast-comic Jeffrey Ross who had to dance with an eye-patch after sustaining a scratched cornea when his dance partner, Edyta Sliwinska poked him in his eye accidentally during pre-show rehearsals yesterday.

Professional dancer Karina Smirnoff, who was linked with Mario Lopez on many romantic Vegas visits, sprained her ankle during rehearsals but still danced with her partner, Rocco DiSpirito. Rehearsals began before 8 a.m. for the 5 p.m. live transmission back to the East Coast.

Toni Braxton, reality actress Kim Kardashian and singer Lance Bass all scored above 15 -- and are expected to scrape through the two ABC-TV broadcasts over the next 48 hours. Toni is partnered with Season 1 champion Alec Mazo, Kim is teamed with defending champion Mark Ballas and Lance dances with 2007 World Swing Dance champion Lacey Schwimmer making her series debut.

Model-actress Brooke Burke, who often broadcasts live from Vegas on her TV reports, won the night with a top score of 23 out of 30.

Luxe Life will be back tomorrow with an updated report on the three-night premiere from the second night of competition. Tomorrow on the results show pop-idols the Jonas Brothers and Jesse McCartney will perform.

Photo: ABC-TV

Toni scores 22

Photo: ABC-TV

Lance and Lacey

Photo: ABC-TV

Kim Kardashian scores 19.

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