Las Vegas Weekly

May 5, 2009 · 10:04 AM

Photo Gallery: Will Ty and Chelsie get the boot on DWTS tonight?

By Robin Leach

Shawn Johnson gets a hug from judge Bruno Tonioli.

Photo: ABC TV

The judges voted, and the stage is set for the final four. It all depends now if TV viewers confirm the fact that our local-born beauty and dance pro Chelsie Hightower and bucking bronco-riding partner Ty Murray are destined for the exit door on tonight’s results show after scoring just 46 out of a possible 60 last night.

It was a miraculous comeback for the injured last-minute replacement Melissa Rycroft, who replaced injured singer Jewel, who is married to rodeo cowboy champion Ty! Jewel earlier had said that scoring on DWTS should be similar to her husband’s career: “If you’re injured, you still try to do it. If you can’t ride, you don’t get a score.” She didn’t want Melissa getting judges’ votes based on videotaped rehearsals rather than the real thing!

Melissa, undergoing treatment for a rib fracture, used pain management techniques to get through her Viennese waltz and samba and hit the voting jackpot. She and partner Tony Dovolani led last night with 57 out of 60, closely followed by Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas at 56 and tied with Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke, with Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough at 52. They look pretty well set to be the final four!

Here are the official ABC dance floor photos, and you can click HERE for our immediate report from last night right after the judges’ scorings.

We’ll be back minutes after tonight’s cast-off announcement, and that’s when we’ll know the final four for the ultimate showdown and take a guess at who will win the shiny disco ball trophy. Will it come down to a final dance-off between Melissa and Tony against Gilles with Cheryl -- and Lil’ Kim and Las Vegas Academy student Derek with Shawn and Mark winding up in the third and fourth slots?

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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