Derek Hough Calls Bindi Irwin A ‘Wonderful, Beautiful Woman’ As ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Wraps Up
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough may have had a few scary moments during last week’s Dancing With the Stars. At the end of the program, host Tom Bergeron announced that the couple would join Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess as the two who were in danger of elimination.
The shocking result — Carter and Irwin have been praised by the judges all season and have yet to be in jeopardy — would have put most contestants on edge, but thankfully, Bergeron was quick to tell everyone that no one was going home as a result of Tamar Braxton’s unexpected exit.
Hough talked about those scary moments in his blog for TV Guide. He said he suspected there would be no elimination, but was thrown off by the fact that those two couples were singled out. He put out a plea for Bindi’s fans to vote for her to stay on through the finals — and to win it all when it’s time.
“I wasn’t really thinking about being eliminated, but more about the fact that Tom said that one of these couples had the lowest combined score and votes. They can’t lie about that, so one of us did. I just hope that as far as Bindi is concerned, people will remember to vote for her if they like her.”
Hough went on to speak highly of his partner, saying she was special — despite calling her banged-up feet “something straight out of The Walking Dead after Irwin showed cell phone photos to him and their trio partner Mark Ballas.
Hough also revealed that he wanted this upcoming freestyle dance, one of two they are performing Monday night to reflect what the couple has gone through during the weeks of competition. He particularly highlighted Bindi’s journey.
“This whole season has been a love letter to her dad. It honored her dad, her family, her loved ones and it also showed her growth from this little girl we all saw years ago into this wonderful, beautiful woman. Bindi really wants to be a force for good and she is.”
“When I look at Bindi, I see someone who’s extremely raw and authentic. I feel like the dance needed to match her.”
Derek told Entertainment Weekly that Bindi’s progression as a dancer has been amazing. The wildlife activist could not dance, according to her partner, and has evolved to have new found confidence. Her steps and posture have greatly improved.
Her ability to impress on the dance floor has put Irwin in the judges’ good books. Carrie Ann Inaba told USA Today what she and Derek have to do in the final push toward the mirror ball trophy.
“They have to excite us. Bindi has done daring lifts and showed new nuance each week. She almost has to be beyond spectacular to surprise us. Is she capable? Absolutely.”
One of those lifts was the over-the-head, one-armed hold taken from Dirty Dancing. It was a move Hough was not sure they could pull off, but after they did, it became one of the season’s high points in his opinion, as he told EW.
In addition to the freestyle, Bindi and Derek will work with Inaba on a “redo” dance. Hough revealed they are doing a quickstep, which he called “exhausting.”
Dancing With the Stars fans get two nights of shows this coming week. One couple will be eliminated on Monday night and the final three will compete on Tuesday night before a champion is named.
Dancing With the Stars airs at 8 p.m. Monday night on ABC and 9 p.m. Tuesday.
[Main photo courtesy of Derek Hough/Instagram]
