‘Dancing with the Stars’: Maria Menounos Eliminated, Finalists Are Revealed
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ABC/ADAM TAYLOR(LOS ANGELES) — Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Maria Menounos eliminated from Dancing with the Stars!
The Extra correspondent and her partner, Derek Hough, on Tuesday night failed to advance to the finals of the ABC competition. Next week, Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins and her partner Mark Ballas, telenovela actor William Levy and his partner Cheryl Burke, and NFL star Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd will face off for the Mirror Ball trophy.
Menounos’ dismissal was surprising, considering that she and Hough topped the semifinals leader board with a near-perfect overall score the previous night.
Following the announcement, Menounos said her experience as a contestant was a rewarding one for her. She said, “I learned so many things. I learned how strong I was. I learned to persevere.”
Jenkins is headed for the finals despite suffering what she described on Twitter as a “reflectorical spasm” in her lower back during this week’s performance show. She jumped up and down after learning that she’d advanced, then stated that she’ll be OK to compete next Monday night.
The musical guests on the results show were Carrie Underwood, who sang her new hit “Good Girl”; Alanis Morissette, who performed her new single “Guardian”; and Rock of Ages stars Julianne Hough, Mary J. Blige and Diego Boneta, who did a medley of ’80s rock hits from their upcoming film. It was a homecoming of sorts for Hough, who was a pro dancer on the show for several seasons.
The Dancing with the Stars finals begin next Monday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio