Las Vegas Weekly

September 28, 2009 · 7:52 AM

Chuck, Donny and Kelly face tough competition on DWTS’ second week

By Robin Leach

Anna Trebunskaya and Chuck Liddell await the judges' scores with host Tom Bergeron on Dancing With the Stars.

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC TV

Our three Las Vegas favorites Kelly Osbourne, Flamingo headliner Donny Osmond and UFC star Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell are all ready for battle tonight in the second week of Season 9 of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.

Chief judge and curmudgeon Len Goodman won’t be handing out scores on the hit show when it broadcasts live from Hollywood with another two-hour episode. Instead, Australian director Baz Luhrmann of Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge and Australia fame will take on that duty.

After last week’s farewell to Macy Gray and Ashley Hamilton, 14 competing celebrity teams now face the music. Tonight, they will dance the tango, the jive and the quickstep. One couple will be axed tomorrow night.

Also on tomorrow night’s results show will be Joss Stone performing “Free Me” from her upcoming album Colour Me Free, while pro dancers Cheryl Burke, Dmitry Chaplin, Kelly’s pro partner Louis Van Amstel and Chuck’s pro partner Ana Trebunskaya perform during the song. Joss also will sing Dusty Springfield’s classic “Son of a Preacher Man.”

Disney star Selena Gomez will perform “Falling Down” with her band The Scene. It’s the advance single of the album Kiss & Tell being released tomorrow. Pro dancers Derek Hough and Karina Smirnoff will stage a special dance as part of Selena’s performance.

In advance of tonight’s show, Donny said, “My legs don’t stop moving in this week’s dance! I didn’t know feet could move this fast! I’m also applying exactly what the judges said last week about my posture and performance. I’m a perfectionist, so I’m trying really hard, have taken their remarks to heart, and we’ve implemented them in rehearsals. Being part of DWTS is exciting and hard work. Who would have thought that ballroom dancing could be so exhausting? I have a new appreciation for the dance.”

Rival Chuck added: “I don’t like losing in anything, so I work as hard as they let me. I want to win!”

It will be tough competition for our three Las Vegas celebrities against the other teams. We’ll have our spoiler alert story with judges’ scores posted here by 7:30 tonight, and then tomorrow morning, the full dance-floor action photo gallery.

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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