‘Dancing With The Stars’ Adds New Dance-Off To Monday’s Show After Tamar Braxton’s Unexpected Exit
Dancing With the Stars has some extra time to fill on Monday night’s program. After Tamar Braxton’s unexpected withdrawal for health concerns, the show is short one celebrity and professional pair. At this stage in the competition, the couples are set to perform one individual and one “trio” dance with an additional professional. With two routines to learn and ace in order to impress the judges, the stakes are already high. So viewers might assume they might task the in-house dance troupe with some extra ballroom time for strictly entertainment purposes.
But it turns out that won’t be the case. The celebrities will get another opportunity to earn judges points, and another routine they have to choreograph and rehearse. People revealed Thursday that Monday’s program will feature an additional two dance-offs, each featuring two competing pairs. Each couple who wins their respective dance-off will have an additional three points added to their scores.
The pairs have already been set. Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough will compete against Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess. They’ll dance a samba. Carlos PenaVega, whose wife Alexa PenaVega was just eliminated Monday, and his partner Witney Carson will compete against Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold. They’ll do the cha-cha.
As for rumors that Alexa might come back to the ballroom since she was the most recent star to be eliminated, People reports that won’t happen. The Dancing With the Stars producers have not yet revealed whether or not there will be an elimination on Monday’s program.
The celebrities have another tough challenge. In addition to the dance-off and the trio dance, each couple has to perform a style of dance they have yet to be scored on this season. While it seems like a lot to learn and rehearse, the stars might be comforted by the knowledge that they are nearly at the show’s finale.
Alek and Lindsay will perform with Emma Slater, Bindi and Derek will perform with Mark Ballas, Carlos and Witney will perform with Karina Smirnoff, and Nick and Sharna will perform with Peta Murgatroyd.
If fans of DWTS are surprised to see Peta’s name on the list, it’s for good reason. She appeared on the season’s promotional posters and was set to dance with Andy Grammer, but had to pull out because of an injury. As People reported back in August, Murgatroyd had to have surgery on her foot to repair four torn ligaments and to remove a floating piece of bone. Grammer danced with Allison Holker, who announced her pregnancy several weeks into the show.
Dancing With the Stars has had a tumultuous 21st season. Two celebrities, Kim Zolciak and Braxton, pulled out because of serious health issues. Murgatroyd pulled out before the season even began. Reports surfaced that Irwin’s DWTS contract was going to be rejected by a judge until the Australian wildlife advocate, who is a minor, could prove that her father is deceased. In addition to Holker’s pregnancy announcement, Carter and his wife also got some baby news: they found out live on-air they are having a boy.
Viewers can tune in to see the revelation of one great remaining mystery of Monday night’s program: whether anyone will be eliminated or whether all four pairs will hang on for another week. Dancing With the Stars is due to wrap up its season the week of November 23. The program airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
[Main photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images Entertainment]
