Las Vegas Weekly

May 13, 2009 · 10:21 AM

DWTS finals are set as Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower get the boot

By Robin Leach

Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower's spirited last dance.

Photo: ABC TV

Finally it was the last dance for King of the Cowboys Ty Murray and his Las Vegas-based partner Chelsie Hightower. After 12 weeks of Season 8 of Dancing With the Stars -- and despite numerous saves from elimination by erratic and unexpected viewer voting -- they were given the boot.

Now the stage is set for Monday’s finals, and although it could be anybody’s win, we predict the mirrored disco ball trophy will go to Sex and the City hunk Gilles Marini and his partner Cheryl Burke, with Olympic gold medalist gymnast Shawn Johnson and partner Mark Ballas as the runners-up.

Photo: ABC TV

Tom Bergeron, Samantha Harris, Chelsie Hightower and Ty Murray.

We don’t think that Melissa Rycroft, who entered the contest as a last-minute replacement, and her partner Tony Dovolani will dance their way to a last-minute upset, and they will wind up in third place. We’ll see just how good our predictions are early next week!

If Gilles and Cheryl win, it will be Cheryl’s third victory, making her the pro dancer with the most wins on the top-rated ABC series. Cheryl previously won with Drew Lachey in Season 2 and Emmitt Smith in Season 3.

Meantime, here are last night’s official ABC photos, including the farewell kiss between Chelsie and Ty who described it as the best experience of his life. Chelsie will be back this fall on the next edition of DWTS, although Las Vegas Academy brother and sister students Derek and Julianne Hough, as well as Mark Ballas, will not as they move on to their other showbiz careers.

Photo: ABC TV

Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower say goodbye.

On the finals shows next week, Las Vegas nightclub regular and Jackass stuntman Steve-O, along with The Girls Next Door reality star Holly Madison, Julianne and country singer boyfriend Chuck Wicks, who all rehearsed here at Tony Delgado’s dance studio in Summerlin, will be reunited!

Vegas DeLuxe will be back with the finals’ results right after the broadcast next week.

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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