The finale of Dancing with the Stars season 18 is just two weeks away, but one more couple’s journey ends tonight. With six strong stars with good scores, it could be anyone’s time to go.
The leaderboard last week was tight, with just eight points separating first from last. That’s equal to less than two percent of the public vote, so it’s truly a popularity contest at this point.
DEFINITELY SAFE
Meryl Davis was at the top of the leaderboard last week, as she’s been five out of seven weeks so far. If anyone is a lock for the finale, it’s her and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Amy Purdy was second, and with her large base of support and sympathy for her sudden back injury, she should be safe as well.
IN THE MIDDLE
While I’ve been picking Candace Cameron Bure to be in danger and even to get eliminated in recent weeks, I’m moving her up. Not only was she third on the leaderboard, but she clearly has the support of many fans, most likely for her conservative beliefs.
IN DANGER
That leaves three favorites in danger. Danica McKellar had a bad week due to a rib injury. Typically she might get some sympathy votes, but I think Amy Purdy’s injury may have stolen her thunder, which could mean an early departure for Winnie Cooper.
The two remaining men, Charlie White and James Maslow, were both at the bottom of last week’s leaderboard, thanks entirely to being on the wrong team (aka not Derek’s). With these two and McKellar separated by just two points at the bottom, any one of them could go home.
MY PREDICTION
I think Danica McKellar and Val Chmerkovskiy will be eliminated. Between his sexy shirtless performance and being in the Bottom 2, I think James might get enough votes to stick around. I also think Charlie has plenty of fans and supporters as well. But Danica’s rib injury and poor score may have led to a lot of fans abandoning her in favor of other contestants.
It could be unfortunate since pre-injury Danica showed a lot of skill. It would be doubly difficult for Val, who was eliminated in sixth place last season with another talented ’90s TV star, Elizabeth Berkeley.
Dancing with the Stars airs Monday at 8pm on ABC. This week brings guest judge Abby Lee Miller from Dance Moms as well as an opportunity to see the stars dance with each other instead of their pro partners.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
