"Dancing with the Stars": Cher takes the stage as another pair exits
Cher brought some major star-power to "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday night. At the start of the show, the 67-year-old songstress performed her song "Believe" before sitting down at the judges' table, filling in for Len Goodman.
Her presence was felt throughout the show, as she complimented the contenders, mostly handing out 9s.
At one point, Cher fielded a question from a fan: If she could turn back time, to what time would you go? "I'd go back to the 80s...I just had so much fun in the '80s, I cannot tell you. Maybe too much!"
But Monday wasn't all about Cher -- some competitive dancing had to be done.
Week 8 got under way with Corbin Bleu got and Karina Smirnoff's tango, which earned rave reviews from Cher; she called the routine "amazing." They danced away with a score of 27.
Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke brought the tango for Cher's "The Beat Goes On." Feeling the pressure, Osbourne said, "If we do a really bad job, it could really bum her out." Luckily, Cher was impressed, calling it "great" and adding, "You were like a pimp!"
Leah Remini and pro-partner Tony Dovolani took on a Viennese waltz to the tune of "I Got You Babe. "It was like watching Alice in Wonderland," said Bruno Tonioli. Inaba pointed out that the timing was a little off, but that didn't bother Cher who said she was "enthralled."
"Glee" star Amber Riley fought through more injuries after being admitted to the hospital for a tear in one of the tendons in her knee. While wearing a knee brace, Riley and her partner, Derek Hough, attempted a sexy rumba to "If I Could Turn Back Time." Cher called it "fabulous," but Carrie Ann Inaba said it wasn't Riley's best performance. Still, she managed to score a 28 and immunity from elimination.
"Pretty Little Liars" actor Brant Daugherty and Peta Murgatroyd toned things down this week and performed a foxtrot to Cher's version of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)." Cher enjoyed Daugherty's smile, and Tonioli noted how the actor is practically "flawless."
The pressure was on for actress Elizabeth Berkley who also really wanted to win over Cher. Her jazz routine to Cher's "Bang Bang" alongside Val Chmerkovsiky was a hit with the crowd. And Cher seemed to enjoy it, too, saying, "I thought it was rough, and I liked the rough part of it."
Comedian Bill Engvall and pro-dancer Emma Slater went back in time with some disco moves. "All I'm missing is the shag haircut," Engvall joked. "I'm bringing it!" He apparently brought it by the judges' standards anyway, with Inaba calling him the "mayor of 'Dancing with the Stars.'" Cher liked how Engvall could get Slater "up in all those positions." Still, the earned a night-low of 24 points.
The evening wrapped with three dance-offs where contenders could earn 3 extra points for the win. Bleu and Smirnoff topped Berkley and Chmerkovskiy. Remini and Dovolani beat Daugherty and Murgatroyd, Osbourne and Burke beat Engvall and Slater.
In the end, it came down to Osbourne and Daugherty, and the "Pretty Little Liars" star was sent packing. was sent home. "I've learned a lot about myself and I'm just very very grateful for the opportunity," he said.
Individual dances for Week 8:
Amber Riley and Derek Hough: 28/30 (9, 9, 10) Rumba
Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff: 27/30 (9, 9, 9) + 3 = 30 Argentine Tango
Brant Daugherty and Peta Murgatroyd: 27/30 (9, 9, 9) Foxtrot
Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke: 27/30 (9, 9, 9) + 3 = 30 Tango
Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani: 25/30 (8, 8, 9) + 3 = 28 Viennese Waltz
Elizabeth Berkley and Val Chmerkovskiy: 25/30 (8, 9, 8) Jazz
Bill Engvall and Emma Slater: 24/30 (8, 8, 8) Disco
Tell us: Did the right contestant go home?
