“America’s Favorite Ballroom”

Hmmm, this is going to be tough this week. When Tom Bergeron and the judges were talking last night, they all agreed that Dancing with the Stars has never had a Semi-Final before that had this high a level of competition. The scores were so high and so close last night that I have to think that who stays and who goes is totally dependent on the audience votes. So you want a prediction? OK, who did you vote for? Here was how the leader board stood after last night’s performances:

Judges Leader Board
Joey & Kym: 60
Laila & Maksim: 60
Apolo & Julianne: 59
Ian & Cheryl: 58

Here is how the competition stacks up in my opinion:

Laila & Maksim are my least favorite couple. They were good last night but their routines were basic and simple. It isn’t fair that they get a 60 when the other couples are getting lower scores because they are putting it out there and taking risks trying to win. I wish I could say that I thought they would be going home tonight but they won’t. Laila has been a audience favorite since the beginning.

Even though they didn’t top the leader board last night (and they should have, way to go Len), Apolo & Julianne are still in my opinion the couple to beat. They are great dancers, their routines are energetic and exciting to watch, and lets be honest, Julianne is easy on the eyes, which will help them pull audience votes.

Ian & Cheryl have turned in good but not great performances consistently through out the competition. From people I’ve spoken with and the comments we’ve received Ian doesn’t seem to have the fan support of some of the other stars (despite last week). If he does, they are certainly less vocal than the fans of the other stars. I think that this is Ian & Cheryl’s week to visit the bottom 2.

I am convinced that Joey & Kym’s appearance in the bottom 2 last week was a blip. Joey is the most entertaining star this season. Their Jive routine last night was amazing. Never the less, their appearance in the bottom 2 last week has made me question their fan support. I think they will be in the bottom 2 again because Laila and Apolo’s have a larger fan following.

Week 9 Semi-Finals Bottom Two Prediction:
Ian & Cheryl
Joey & Kym

Joey & Kym have been one of my favorite couples since week one. They have been consistently good through out the competition and, for me, the most entertaining and fun to watch. If the final couples aren’t Joey & Kym and Apolo & Julianne I may boycott the Finals (Ok, not really, but I will be really upset). Ian & Cheryl have been good but have struggled every week. Even Ian’s looking at performance last night, it was good for him but, compared to the other three couples, it just doesn’t stack up. Ian & Cheryl deserve to go home.

Week 9 Loser Prediction:
Ian & Cheryl

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