Dancing With the Stars Recap: New Highs for Some, New Lows (Like the Floor) for Others

Unfamiliar faces are in first and last place

By Natalie Finn Apr 26, 2011 3:00 AMTags

Get a bunch of celebs together and ask them what their guilty pleasures are and you should have the makings for quite the evening.

But "Guilty Pleasures Night" on Dancing With the Stars was more about Britney Spears and Journey (and giggles!) than scintillating revelations, so it was up to the contestants themselves to rise above the cheesy covers and make magic out of "My Heart Will Go On."

Did they?

MORE: Did Mark Ballas pull strings to get Pia Toscano on DWTS?

Indeed they did!

We're not sure why so many people want to find a love like Jack and Rose's in Titanic (Jack died, people!), but Romeo sure digs the story and his guilty pleasure was none other than Céline Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," which made for a lovely waltzing song for him and Chelsie Hightower.

"Every once in awhile in a season, magic happens," noted Carrie Ann Inaba en route to handing out the first 10 of the season. "And that was magical." 

"I think, Romeo DiCaprio, that your ship will sail on and on and on," added Bruno Tonioli.

Their romantic waltz was tops—for about five minutes, until Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas' quickstep to "Walking on Sunshine" came along, nestling them right next to Romeo and Chelsie in first place.

Carrie Ann handed out her second 10 after noting that "sometimes, magic happens twice," while Bruno and Len Goodman were equally enthusiastic, despite pointing out a minor stumble that Carrie Ann didn't see.

Hines Ward was right up there, as well, with a 27 for a Viennese waltz to Boyz II Men's "End of the Road."

Happily, tonight was a return to form for Kirstie Alley (remember that sexy, surprising cha-cha back in week one?) and the judges took note, rewarding her samba to "...Baby One More Time" with two 9's and an 8—the lower number coming from Carrie "I want to see you in the finals" Ann, of all people!

But still, that 26 was Kirstie's highest score of the season and those were her first 9's.

Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett also finally looked like she was having fun again as she shook her maracas in a super sexy samba that Bruno declared, tactfully as always, "the revenge of the stripper!"

A little more poetically, Len said, "Last week we had a spark, tonight we had a fire!"

Well, it was the revenge of Kendra, at least, because she scored a personal-best 25

According to Bruno, Chris Jericho, usually so precise and fluid, looked like "a lump of granite" while dancing the tango to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."

Ironically, Len didn't mind the constipated vibe and thought he did "an excellent job" overall.

And while there were no more rough hits for Kirstie, it was Karina Smirnoff who took a tumble tonight during the paso doble, requiring partner Ralph Macchio to get her back on her feet again—which he did, to much applause and congratulations from the judges for persevering, and they still got 8's for effort.

"Once you got back on it there was no stopping you," Bruno said warmly.

Here's how the leaderboard stacked up tonight:

Chelsea Kane & Mark Ballas: 28
Romeo & Chelsie Hightower: 28
Hines Ward & Kym Johnson: 27
Kirstie Alley & Maks Chmerkovskiy: 26
Kendra Wilkinson & Louis van Amstel: 25
Ralph Macchio & Karina Smirnoff: 24
Chris Jericho & Cheryl Burke: 22

How the tables have turned! Chris is on the bottom, but do you think that will be enough to send him home? Did Kendra show what she's really made of in time?

Another star will be eliminated tomorrow following performances from Hanson, NKOTBSB (that's New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys, yo!) and Marc Ballas' "pal," Pia Toscano.

(Originally published April 25, 2011, at 6:45 p.m. PT)