ABC Shannon Elizabeth is a ruse. No, a sentimental sweetheart...Or wait...is she? Bwah!
These were the thoughts running through the minds of some of us audience members during tonight's live taping of Dancing with the Stars over at the CBS lot—which just so happens to be adjacent to American Idol. (Korbi and I also hit up the Idol set for some performance-night dish, so stand by for that.)
Shannon was such an ever-gushing deluge of waterworks tonight—openly crying from before the live show began until after it ended—that the show's makeup brigade was on high alert, readily standing by with tissues and blotters and extra coats of waterproof mascara, throughout the entire taping of DWTS.
So what made the Pie girl so weepy? Well, she was either that terrified of being the contestant to get the boot (that honor was ultimately bestowed on Priscilla Presley) or she knows how to milk an audience for the sympathy vote—or someone was repeatedly squirting lemon juice in her eye. Yeah...probably the latter.
Regardless, I can tell you that despite all the recent insinuations of Shannon and Derek's "chemistry" and her glitter all over him (mm-hmm), it certainly appeared tonight that the two are not really romantically linked. They were laughing out loud and high-fiving each other when the cameras weren't rolling as they watched a pretaped segment of Derek tenderly "serenading" Shannon with his guitar to help her squash her nerves. Perhaps they're playing up the coupledom for fun?
That said, so much of Shannon and Derek and the rest of the contestants is 100 percent sincere, including the real and raw emotion that they desperately want to stick around--and the camaraderie! And Shannon and Marlee Matlin clearly have developed a very close and very personal BFF-ship (complete with butt slaps and girly giggles), which is pretty adorable. (Other favorite moment of the night: Gigantor Jason lifting up itty-bitty Marisa onto a step in order to hug her. Aww!)
All in all, a very cool night, and the DWTS taping is actually a heck of a good time. Check it out when/if you're in the Holly hood!
In the meantime, who do you think should go next? Who is your favorite to win? Comment below...