A rehearsal spat between reality star Kate Gosselin and pro dance partner Tony Dovolani, that nearly led to the professional quitting the show, took center stage on Monday night’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Before each pair took to the stage to show off their dance number for the week, producers rolled out footage of Week 2 rehearsals and while several of the “Stars” – including Erin Andrews and Jake Pavelka – had trouble with their professionals, Kate’s spat with Tony appeared to be the most heated.
While rehearsing for Monday night’s jive, Kate took on Tony for his teaching techniques, something that clearly pressed buttons for the normally cool “DWTS” regular.
“It’s like you’re telling me how to teach you how to dance. That’s what I do for a living,” Tony said after Kate told him she didn’t understand his instructions over a particular foot placement.
“He feels like I undermined him as a teacher and I didn’t. I’m not qualified to teach, but I am qualified to know how it is that I want something to be shown to me,” Kate said to camera. “Like, I just want to learn, like show me, so I can get it.”
The discussion between the two continued in a heated fashion, with Kate claiming Tony wasn’t “hearing what [she was] saying,” to which he replied, “I’ve heard you all day.”
When Kate chimed in, “Please, don’t make arguments where there’s none,” Tony lost his patience and announced, “I quit,” before walking out the door as Kate wiped tears from her eyes.
He eventually cooled down and came back.
“Thank you for coming back,” Kate said after Tony returned, before seemingly referencing her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin. “I’ve had a lot of people quit on me in life.”
As for their actual competition number, like their rehearsals, that too had trouble.
Despite her short and sexy red dress, and up ‘do, Kate’s disjointed footwork and missteps in their jive to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” was slammed by the panel.
“Oh Kate, this song brings back such great memories of me dancing with Elton John in the South of France, and now you’ve turned it into a nightmare,” Italian judge Bruno Tonioli — who appeared in the original music video for the song — commented.
British judge Len Goodman did try to inspire the mother of eight for next time.
“You’re a try-er and you’re a worker,” he said.
“Come out and really go for it,” he added as the pair took home 15 out of 30 for a two week total (combined with the premiere week’s score) of 31 out of 60. “Don’t go down as a wimp. Go out fighting.”
Kate did fight back – just not on the dance floor.
While being interviewed by show co-host Brooke Burke, she said the rehearsal footage wasn’t the whole story.
“It’s 30 seconds of a great week of practice with a great teacher, you know, we just met each other. We have to learn to communicate like a marriage,” she said before uttering an “Eek!”
In fact, Len actually took the side of the professionals after Erin’s footage with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy showed the ESPN commentator arguing with her pro teacher.
“Turn up, keep up and shut up. That’s what you should all do,” he said. “Get on with the dancing, trust in your pros.”
While Kate and Tony ended up toward the bottom of the pack, the top slot was reserved for Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough, who took home the first 10s of the season – one from Carrie Ann Inaba, the other from Bruno – for their energetic and sexy jive to Rihanna’s “S.O.S.,” which got a standing ovation from the audience.
“It was phenomenal,” Bruno exclaimed of their fast-moving, thrilling number, which scored 28 out of 30 for a two-week total of 53 out of 60. “I’ve never seen a jive that good on Week 2… Sensational.”
Here’s how the rest of the pack did:
Shannen Doherty opened the show with partner Mark Ballas and their fun-spirited jive managed to net them a 20 out of 30 for a two-week total of 38/60.
“All My Children’s” Aiden Turner fox trotted with pro Edyta Sliwinska to “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” but they didn’t quite nail it, scoring just 19/30 — 34/60 over the two-week span.
Men’s gold medal figure skater Evan Lysacek and his Russian pro partner Anna Trebunskaya turned out a retro-inspired jive which saw the star in short pants, pink socks and Chuck Taylors. “You’re definitely ‘Grease Lightening’ tonight,” Bruno said as the two took home 24/30 and a two week score of 47/60.
Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel scored 21 points (and a two week total of 39/60) for a fox trot that Bruno said, “was like a strawberry milkshake.”
Despite a tense rehearsal where former “Bachelor” Jake Pavelka demanded partner Chelsie Hightower change her choreography, on the “DWTS” stage the two appeared like pals as they equaled their score from the previous week (20/30) with a jive.
It was bad news for former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and his “Dancing” partner Ashly Costa. The two did a fox trot to “Fly Me To The Moon,” and while co-host Tom Bergeron noted it was “charming,” they took home just 12/30, for a two-week total of 26/60.
Erin Andrews tried out the fox trot with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, netting a decent score — 23/30 (44/60 over the two weeks).
A bubbly Pamela Anderson and pro Damian Whitewood did their fox trot to “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” a dance which Len said “had an elegance about it… a cheeky charm.” Bruno said it was “a well executed, delicious tribute to the original blonde bombshell” Marilyn Monroe, and the pair took home 22/30 for a two-week score of 43/60.
Chad Ochocinco floundered on his fox trot with Cheryl Burke, despite being cheered on by former NFL star — and previous “DWTS” contestant — Jerry Rice. Bruno noted the Bengals star was “going backward” in his dancing prowess as the pair netted just 16/30 for a two-week total of just 34/60.
The first elimination of Season 10 takes place on Tuesday night’s “Dancing” episode.
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