Jennifer Grey Wins ABC's 'Dancing With the Stars'
11/25/2010 01:57:00 AM
kenmouse
, Posted in
Actress Jennifer Grey won the championship of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom-dance contest, clinching the Mirror Ball trophy over Disney Channel star Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin.
Known for her role in the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing,” Grey beat Massey for the top prize on Walt Disney Co.’s network last night based on judges’ scores and viewers’ votes.
Grey, 50, cast doubt about her ability to complete the competition, after disclosing she had ruptured a disc in her back while performing the previous night. The judges awarded her 118 points for her four dances during the two-night finale, out of a possible 120. Massey received 110, while Palin earned 104.
“I didn’t think I was going to compete tonight,” Grey said after her victory. “I’m glad I did.”
Palin, the 20-year-old daughter of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, placed third after being propelled to the finals of the talent show by her fan base, including Tea Party voters.
Votes from fans, which carry equal weight with judges’ scores, kept Palin in the running. She showed steady improvement, while scoring at or near the bottom as each week’s elimination left stronger dancers in the running.
“Dancing With the Stars,” TV’s second most-watched show this season after CBS Corp.’s “NCIS,” pairs celebrities with professional dancers in weekly elimination rounds.
Last night’s finale averaged 24.1 million viewers over two hours, according to Nielsen Co. data, and was the most-watched show of the evening. The Nov. 22 program was the most-watched entertainment telecast this season, ABC said in a statement.
Judges’ Scores
The program, in its 11th season, airs Monday and Tuesday nights in the U.S. and consists of a performance night and a results night. The voting allows weaker dancers with more fans to advance.
Disney, based in Burbank, California, added 69 cents to $36.81 at 12:53 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares gained 12 percent this year before today.
Through the 10 rounds, Grey consistently placed at the top of the judges’ leader board. She earned perfect scores of 30 for each of her two dances on the first night this week, including a freestyle number with partner Derek Hough to the song, “Do You Love Me?” The song was featured in “Dirty Dancing,” in which Grey starred opposite the late actor Patrick Swayze.
“You’ve been consistent, you’ve been persistent, you’re an irresistible force,” head judge Len Goodman told Grey.
Massey finished second among the judges that night, earning a 27 for a foxtrot with partner Lacey Schwimmer and a 29 for a freestyle dance to the rap song “Tootsee Roll.”
‘Gorilla’ to ‘Thriller’
Palin’s jive with partner Mark Ballas earned her 27 out of 30 points, compared with the 18 she received for the same dance during week five.
“You were last time a gorilla and now a thriller,” said Goodman. In her second dance, Palin notched a 25 with a freestyle cage dance to “Cell Block Tango,” from the Broadway musical “Chicago.”
Last night’s two dances included a repeat of each finalist’s favorite dance from the season and a “instant” cha- cha, which the pairs were told they’d be performing to Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” minutes before hitting the floor. Grey’s score totaled 58 on the two dances, to Massey’s 54 and Palin’s 52.
If Bristoal Palin is of no talent, then why they won? It’s no business with others to judge her that way.