“DWTS”: Erika Jayne Eliminated on Disney Night

Synergy was in the air last night, along with a little magic, on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars as the show paid tribute to the network’s parent company with a Disney themed night.  Sadly for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, though, the night’s festivities did not go according to plan.  She had endured a difficult week of rehearsals, one that saw the usually abundantly confident star reduced to tears and questioning her ability to remain in the competition. And then Jayne didn’t get to perform a dance inspired by her favorite Disney character, Tinkerbell. But together with partner Gleb Savchenko she did execute an emotionally charged Viennese Waltz inspired by Finding Dory. (The two are pictured above.)

Despite some encouraging words from the judges after her dance, their combined score total of 32 wasn’t enough to save Jayne from elimination. She put on a brave face after the news was delivered on the show but was visibly distressed. “Erika had the wrong partner,” a source close to the RHOBH star shared with me after the show.  “They had no chemistry on the ballroom floor and Gleb didn’t lead her to greatness. The outcome would have been different if Erika had had a winning partner.”

Hot on the heels of scoring the season’s highest score last week, Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater danced a foxtrot inspired by Beauty and the Beast, once again dazzling the judges. While his musicality was questioned, Jennings scored 32/40. “There was a lovely elegance about it,” commented Len Goodman.

Nick Viall and Peta Murgatroyd had some fun with their Pinocchio-inspired jazz routine (pictured below). While many expected The Bachelor star to appear as Prince Charming, it wasn’t to be.  “As Pinocchio we wanted to go right into character and wanted to ham it up every step of the way,” said Murgatroyd. That they did -- complete with lederhosen. Viall earned his highest score yet with 34/40.

Steve Gidlow

Steve Gidlow, a long-time columnist for MediaVillage ("Behind the Scenes in Hollywood"), has written about television and pop culture since 1994, beginning in Australia.  Since moving to Hollywood in 1997, Steve has focused on celebrity interv… read more