Las Vegas Weekly

October 14, 2009 · 11:03 AM

Chuck Liddell reportedly disappointed by DWTS dismissal

By Robin Leach

Anna Trebunskaya and Chuck Liddell on Dancing With the Stars.

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC TV

Our Flamingo headliner Donny Osmond reported last night that UFC champion Chuck Liddell took it pretty hard when “The Iceman” was frozen out of future competition on Dancing With the Stars. Now 10 couples remain on Season 9 of the ABC show.

Low scores from judges and viewer votes eliminated the 39-year-old athlete from competition. Judge Bruno Tonioli blasted Chuck’s country Two-Step with partner Anna Trebunskaya: “You bring carnage and mayhem to everything you do. You not so much danced but raided the Two-Step.”

Chuck responded: “It’s hard to do. I made a shot at it. I was shocked. I thought we would have been able to get more votes than that. I wish I could have stuck around longer, but it is what it is. I achieved the goal, though, that I set out with. Hopefully, I got across to America that fighters aren’t a bunch of Neanderthals. That’s why I came on the show, to let people know we’re normal people. I learned a lot about my body while dancing. I’m an athlete, sports always came easy, but you’re always in the same position.

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC TV

Karina Smirnoff, Aaron Carter, Anna Trebunskaya and Chuck Liddell on Dancing With the Stars.

“It took a while to get out of my crouch and into proper posture for dancing. The funny thing about it is, all my friends are, like, something is different about your body now that you’ve been doing dancing. There’s nothing different about my body; it’s just I’m standing up straight and have good posture. I’ve never been accused of being a good dancer, but I’ve always liked dancing. I will continue to dance. I love to dance at nightclubs. My friends always used to have their girlfriends, if they wanted to dance, they’d say go dance with Chuck. I became the designated dancer.”

Chuck said his partner Anna had a great sense of humor dealing with him and despite their taped edited rehearsals banter, she wasn’t at all bitchy with her straightforward lessons and instructions. Anna commented: “We really got along. I loved working with you. You are my bear, and you are my hippo. But our exit makes me feel like crap.”

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC TV

Tom Bergeron, Samantha Harris, Anna Trebunskaya and Chuck Liddell on Dancing With the Stars.

Donny’s partner Kym Johnson blogged after the show: “We’re sorry to see him go. He’s such a gentle, nice man,” she said. “He’s adorable.” Donny revealed “He really took it hard tonight. That was scary tonight. We’re going to miss him.”

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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