Assuming neither has been really dancing for two months by the time September 20 rolls around, will Kelly revert to the dance stylings of her graceful waltz?

Its not like dance experts are going to be judging them. She won with fans before, she'll win with them again. So....why bother to hype a "competition"?

I don't know if that's a safe assumption. After all, her character's "evil twin" on General Hospital is a dancer, so Kelly has in all likelyhood been dancing to prepare for that role.

IMHO, the dance-off is all for show (and ratings, of course). It is ABC's way of insincerely saying, "hey, we heard you and here's what we've done to fix the problem..." while not actually doing a damn thing at all.

So, the process is the same, the results will be the same, and the whole thing is a stupid ratings stunt under the guise of being "responsive to criticism".

What problem are they addressing?

The "problem" of the shrinking revenue stream when DwtS left the air! This isn't about dancing, or Kelly, or John, or the fans of either, or controversy, or conspiracy...it's about $$$$$. 

This whole "dance off" would never have come about if Peterman had been more gracious in losing and if he had just not agreed to do it.

Kelly could have said no, too.

The network probably threw a ridiculous amount of money at all of them for what is probably at most three weeks work and why on earth would any of them say no?

As for the "dance off", I think he should have refused to participate simply because it -does- make him look like a bad sport, as if, Bobby Flay style, he just couldn't stand losing.

Poor Kelly, I think she is not going to gain anything from this at all. She is either going to lose the vote and have people complain that she didn't deserve to win in the first place, or she is going to win the vote and have the same crap from the media start all over again.

Kelly's Maxim cover will be a big boost to her already big fanbase

Is it true your first words upon winning were “Holy shit!”?
Yeah. I couldn’t believe it. Then the host, Tom Bergeron, said something to me, and I went, “Oh, my God! Are we still on air?” And he said, “Yes, honey, we are!” I think the second thing I said was something like “Holy Christ.” I was trying to cover up the “Holy shit!”

Good save. You sure didn’t look like you were going to win after the first episode, when judge Bruno Tonioli said your face looked like somebody had died.
Ah, the notorious first episode. I was shocked that he went there—my family was appalled. My little nephew looked at my mom and said, “Did somebody die?” He really thought someone had died. However, it gave me a kick in the butt and made me work even harder.

Did you want to kick Bruno’s ass?
No, no, no. That’s stooping to their level. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do better than they thought. The first week actually worked in my favor—it got the audience rooting for me.

Don’t you think the fact that your dress broke also helped some?
Ha! Maybe for the judges. I showed them I had a professional side and lots of determination. One of them gave me a standing ovation, and not because the dance was perfect.

After the wardrobe malfunction, what went through your head?
Is there a five-second delay? It’s a live show, and this kind of situation hadn’t been talked about. The whole Janet Jackson thing flew through my mind in a brief second and the network getting fined and people getting fired and stuff like that. It was really scary. But I also thought, If I have to walk thorough the rest of this dance and hold myself up the whole time, then that’s what I’m gonna do—because I’m certainly not going to walk off the stage and give up.

…

Were there any romantic sparks between you and your partner?
Absolutely not. Alec is a gentleman, an extremely sophisticated, smart young man. Never once did I feel violated or that anything we were doing was inappropriate or uncalled for. He was extremely professional.

But that greasy Russian had his grubby paws all over you!
If that’s what the audience is seeing, then we did our job well. That’s what these dances are about—the passion and the lust and the vulnerability. If they’re seeing that and want to be in his position, that’s wonderful. I think I’m very conditioned from being in this business, especially on soaps, because it’s just part of the job.

…

OK, so you win the big dance contest. You go to bed, wake up…who is the first person to call you?
Well, I didn’t go to bed. After the contest, ABC threw a party for all the people involved. Then I went home and studied 45 pages of dialogue for General Hospital. Then, at 2 a.m., we had to do Good Morning America, but we had to wait for about four hours because of the bombings in London. I left there at 6:30, was at work at nine, and worked for the next 12 hours. I was close to a nervous breakdown. I got home and was hysterical, just crying in my car.

I agree that Kelly has the potential to come off looking great in this and JOH really needs to watch his step.

and I was waiting with bated breath for FormerOlympian to tell us all about it.

I don't know how to take Kelly calling Alec "kid" and "young man". If her published age is correct, Alec is only 2 years younger than her.
Of course, she may be using it as a distancing tool because she feels the pull of the suxy.
I like djork's take on the article.

and I was waiting with bated breath for FormerOlympian to tell us all about it.


I still have the vapors from seeing the photos and am incapable of coherent speech at the moment.

toss my gold medals in the nearest dumpster

The only celebrity I've heard of is Inge de Bruijn

Kelly -- It's for a good cause. We're doing this for charity

I don't know how to take Kelly calling Alec "kid" and "young man". If her published age is correct, Alec is only 2 years younger than her.

Kelly -- It's for a good cause. We're doing this for charity, which is 99.9% of the reason why I'm doing it. (now she reveals the real reason) And I get to learn 3 more dances (meaning I get to rub up against Alec for another month) and (then she tries to cover up for her previous answer) I get to get in kick-ass shape again.

The only celebrity I've heard of is Inge de Bruijn

Is that someone you might know FormerOlympian?

And congrats to JOH on the wedding

For those who are in withdrawal until the dance-off, a version of Dancing with the Stars is now being broadcast in The Netherlands ...

I'm confused; I thought he was already married.

I can't wait until Sept. 20. I really hope the suxy duo does a hot little tango number. I would squee myself silly.

We met in passing at the '92 Games. It was her first Olympics, and my last. Swimming at the international level is a relatively small world (as it would be in most sports, I guess).

Unfortunately, the photos seem to be pretty overwhelming. ;)

I had to go out and buy my first ever Maxim.

FormerOlympian does this mean you know Uber!Sexy swim god Alexander Popov?

Thank you Dan for bagging on the shredded pajama look that Blake and Artem had to wear this week.

That had to be Mia's doing since both costumes were the same.

I know you're going to throw things at me but at this point in time I would rather chat with FormerOlympian than talk about the dancing show.

Kelly Monaco Reveals Tough Past

Kelly Monaco became America's sweetheart practically overnight . . . But Monaco's life before "Dancing with the Stars" was actually filled with tragedy and tears, and for the first time, the actress opened up . . .

Monaco revealed her story in a candid interview with OK! magazine, and only "Extra" has it. OK! Editor in Chief Sarah Ivens revealed that Monaco survived everything from homelessness to an attempted rape to a bout with teenage alcoholism before rising to fame.

"Who could have guessed a soap opera star could have had such a soap opera past," Ivens noted. "She's admitted to OK! that she started experimenting with alcohol and drugs between the ages of 11 and 13."

Monaco, who once posed for Playboy, also revealed that when she first came to Los Angeles to peruse her Hollywood dream, she lived out of her car for two months and survived on $1 Chinese food.

But the biggest shocker that Monaco revealed was the time she was almost raped. The actress told the magazine that on one of her first jobs, she was drugged by a would-be rapist, saying, "I did a job in Montreal, and I got drugged. I had to get myself out of what could have been a very premeditated rape."

But at age 29, Monaco has been with only one man -- a boyfriend she refuses to name. "She was a virgin for years," Ivens revealed. "And she's been with the same guy since she was 15. She's madly in love with him."

Looks like Kelly Monaco truly is a survivor!

"She was a virgin for years," Ivens revealed.