Las Vegas Weekly

April 27, 2010 · 6:34 PM

Super seven becomes stunning six on Dancing With the Stars

By Robin Leach

Week 6 of ABC's Dancing With the Stars.

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC TV

It’s the nasty night when seven celebrities are narrowed down to just six, as another elimination loomed on ABC’s top-rated Dancing With the Stars. Call it the evening of the super seven becoming the stunning six, and nearly all of our Las Vegas-connected celebrities are still in the running.

Before the telecast, our Le Reve choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy lambasted chief judge Len Goodman as being too old to judge properly. If you were expecting a ribald retaliation from the curmudgeon, you’d be disappointed. Len simply ignored it, and Maks with ESPN host Erin Andrews were the first couple to be declared safe for next week’s show.

SPOILER ALERT: Please do not read any further if you want to watch the West Coast tape-delayed broadcast of Dancing With the Stars without anything revealed. Consider this my one and only friendly warning! But come back after the show to see if you agree with my observations.

Len played his role, though, and asked Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco to reprise his Argentine tango with Cheryl Burke, saying it was his favorite dance from last night. You just knew then that they also would be declared safe for next week.

Reno 911 star Niecy Nash won praise from Len, but he fired criticism at Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and Las Vegas’ Derek Hough, Olympic figure skating champion Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya and former Planet Hollywood headliner Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood. Even though The Bachelor star Jake Pavelka landed last in the rankings with Las Vegas’ Chelsie Hightower, Len underscored his 100 percent commitment to dance.

Four dancers from the professional lineup -- Chelsie with Tony Dovolani and Maks with Anna -- danced while Melissa Etheridge was a guest performer with her new album’s song “Fearless Love,” and flamenco guitarist Benise performed “Salsa Salsa” with a backup band and his dance group.

The other time killer was the return of Edyta Sliwinska and Dmitry Chapin, who were hooked up to a bizarre scientific sports electronic wiring device to measure the strength and precision of their dance. Edyta also danced with husband Alec Mazo when Melissa performed her second song “Come to My Window.” (Alec won Season 1 of DWTS with General Hospital and former Peepshow star Kelly Monaco.)

As we predicted, leaderboard winners Nicole and Derek were declared safe, leaving, also as we predicted, the final four to be Jake and Chelsie, Pamela and Damian, Niecy and Louis and a worrisome Evan and Anna. The drama played out right to the final moments when Pamela, Damian, Evan and Anna were saved from elimination.

So at the last second, it was between Jake and Niecy, and TV viewers voted it was the end of the line for Jake, just as we had predicted.

We’ll have elimination-episode photos and the final remarks from the ousted Bachelor hunk right here at Vegas DeLuxe tomorrow. For Jake, it’s back to flying the friendly skies.

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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