'Dancing With the Stars' Recap: Divalicious
Singer Katherine Jenkins takes the lead in the finals

The first half of this season's finals did not disappoint! Katherine finished with a perfect 60 for an intense paso doble and a gorgeous freestyle routine. William and Donald are tied just one point behind her on the judges' leaderboard. Bottom line, any one of the three of them could go home with the mirror-ball trophy. But hey, this season has been a rollercoaster, so why should the finals be any different?
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The stars picked their songs for the third round just after airtime and will now have less than 24 hours to rehearse before they perform live tomorrow night. Talk about pressure!
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Here's a quick look at how our three finalists did in the first two rounds:
William Levy
William's disco-infused cha-cha got the finals off to a rollicking start. He's done great with Latin dances all season and this one was certainly no exception. He and Cheryl moved beautifully together. William's timing was right-on and his footwork was gorgeous. The judges didn't have a single negative thing to say about this blockbuster routine. Bruno complimented William's hip action and placement while Carrie Ann praised his sophistication, musicality and the clarity of his movements. Best of all, Len said the routine was as good a cha-cha as he's seen in fourteen seasons.
In the freestyle round, William and Cheryl went completely nuts. The Latin-infused routine never let up for a second. William kept up with his partner like a champ, and the applause when he had finished was the loudest I've heard all season. I have no idea what Len said during the first few seconds of his critique because that crowd would not be shushed. Once they did quiet down, Len called the routine predictable. Carrie Ann, on the other hand, said the routine was everything a freestyle dance should be.
Cha-cha: 30/30
Freestyle: 29/30
Score: 59/60
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine's paso doble evoked a traditional Spanish bullfight. Katherine and Mark danced in hold for nearly the entire routine, which was impressive, and even more stunning was her timing. The choreography was as difficult as anything I've seen on this show and she nailed it. This routine had the crowd on its feet. Bruno praised her shapes and said the routine had technical brilliance. Carrie Ann compared her to a prima ballerina. Len ... said something confusing about tapas, but it was clear he loved the routine as well. Katherine earned her first perfect 30 of the season with this one and it was well deserved.
Katherine's second-round freestyle had flapper flair. She opened the number by singing, which was a bit gimmicky, but she and Mark more than made up for it with their fabulous swing moves. Katherine's technique was flawless. Carrie Ann praised her abilities as a performer and called the routine "the dance of a champion." Even cranky Len had nothing but love. He said, "If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up. This is a freestyle.
Paso doble: 30/30
Freestyle: 30/30
Score: 60/60
Donald Driver
Donald's moody Argentine tango had some amazing lifts in it! The routine struck a good balance between crazy acrobatics and intense dancing in hold. Donald's posture and footwork were both top-notch. The crowd loved this one, but the judges came in with mixed reviews. Carrie Ann, who coached Donald and Peta in rehearsals, loved the routine. Len, on the other hand, called the dance "too careful." Bruno praised Donald's intensity and storytelling.
Donald and Peta's countrified freestyle routine was risky. They did a lot of line dancing in between the usual series of jaw-dropping lifts. Donald lost his footing a little bit near the end of the routine. In any other round, it wouldn't matter, but this is the finals. Carrie Ann said the routine was her favorite dance of the first two rounds while Len praised Peta for her risky choreography and called the dance "fantastic."
Argentine tango: 29/30
Freestyle: 30/30
Score: 59/60
Who won over the judges: Katherine
Who won over the crowd: William
Who needs to step it up: Honestly? Nobody.
"Dancing With the Stars" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
There is only one thing wrong with this year's finals.....My wife and I are still trying to figure out why William is in the finals? It's a dance competition, not best looking hunk! He is NOT that great a dancer and Cheryl has turned just about every dance into a burlesque or stripper routine........Oh, he can bump and grind, give off that cocky smile and all the ladies get their jollies, but he has NO business being in the finals......
On the other hand Katherine is absolutely fantastic, has a great presence, has class, sophistication and sexiness without crawling in the gutter and is one of the best dancers to ever be on this show.....Donald also belongs and has shown the immense talent that he has and working with a Peta, a brand new pro to DWTS they have developed into a very tough couple to deal with........However, unless something really unforeseen happens tonight, Katherine and Mark should be the winners, and deservedly so!
Carrie Ann got it right - Katherine and Mark are champion dancers!! They are versitle, creative, and look so beautiful together. I love the way they move to the music and enjoy watching them dance. And they were genuinely appreciative and thankful of the judges and the audience votes. It was also nice to hear Katherine sing - wow - what a voice. I would love to see her perform tonight.
I also am so sick of watching Cheryl bump and grind and shimmy and shake all over William - It seems all she wants to do is make love to him on the dance floor. Just about every dance is the same - involves his hips, showing his chest, and Cheryl all over him. And I don't like their cocky attitude. Donald and Pieta are okay, and Donald has improved, but I don't really enjoy watching them dance.
I hope Katherine and Mark win tonight - they certainly deserve it!!
I cannot believe I am saying this. I agreed with Len big time last night on Williams Freestyle. Even I, during his dance said.."this is the same thing is has been doing forever. Hips , butt, ladies go wild". Oh and Bruno also. Then when it was finsihed, Len just solidified my thought. The other two couples brainstormed on a new routine that worked. Like they said, the Freestyle could make you or break you. I don't know what it will do to William, but I have him 3rd in my voting after that. In other words, that is how I would vote.
I though Donald and Peta came up with a good routine. I also thought Donald stumbled a few to many times. It seems the judges get generous at the end. Bruno and Carrie Ann gave 10's all night.
After Wiliam's first dance, did you see Carrie go spaz!!!!!!!!! Enough already.
SO, you're going to call out Katherine for being gimmicky, but not mention that Peta and Donald completely ripped off Cheryl and Drew Lachey's famous free style from season 2 - you know, THE dance that consistantly ranks among the top DWTS performances of all time? Seriously - they even brought in Cowboy Troy to do a song that features - quelle surprise - Big and Rich.. Disappointed they went the recycle route. It's bad enough we have to put up with a Superman-themed paso every season.
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Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.
Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.




