Congratulations again to the winners of Dancing with the Stars season 8!

How does everyone feel about the winner of Dancing with the Stars 2009?

UPDATE: You can watch the video announcing the Dancing with the Stars Season 8 Winner.

After announcing that less than 1% separated first and second place, the winner was announced.

Congratulations to Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas!!!!

This is a bit of counting your chickens, but I didn’t write the article (Robin Leach apparently did) so don’t shoot me. I also doubt that Cheryl is that certain she has it wrapped up.

Barring a last-minute upset of erratic TV viewer voting, it looks a certain bet that hot and handsome hunk Gilles Marini and dance partner Cheryl Burke, despite a judges’ scoring tie last night, will win the mirrored disco ball trophy on tonight’s Season 8 finale of Dancing With the Stars. The moment Cheryl wraps all the post-show press and multimedia interviews, she will head here Thursday night to celebrate.

Our pick is for Gilles and Cheryl to grab the win, with Shawn and Mark as the runners-up and Melissa and Tony winding up in third. If we’re correct, then we can go all the way back to week 1 of the season and proudly claim we were right all along! And this would be a record-setting third title for Cheryl!

Oh god, I just noticed this last sentence in the blog. Please. No.

I’ve already heard rumblings that Luxor comedy headliner Carrot Top and Flamingo headliner singer Donny Osmond are being considered as celebrity participants!

Silly name, that. I found the dance…interesting.

Check out Shawn & Mark, Melissa & Tony, Gilles & Cheryl danced a Paso Doble to the song “So What”—Pink

Here’s your chance to watch them again, before the winner is announced!!  First up was Shawn, if I remember correctly.

Next, Melissa and Tony.

And in the pimp position, Gilles.

Comcast’s Fancast casts their vote on who should win.

This is what can seal the deal for a celebrity…and this is where things got dicey last night. Going into the performance I would have ranked the gang, Gilles #1, Melissa #2, and Shawn #3.

Then just like that everything changed.

Ever the athlete, little Shawn brought her A-game—and some seriously killer moves–for what “truly was an explosive performance,” according to Bruno, and one that Len just “loved.”

But the real surprise was that Gilles and Melissa found the worst time to choke. They both failed to impress with their freestyles! They weren’t bad, per se, but after weeks of perfection, they didn’t quite meet expectations

I don’t think I agree with the word “choke” but I do agree that neither dancer was up to their usual standard. Will it cost them? I’m going to go out on a limb and say Gilles will win. I do this mainly to be contrary to John.

I picked up a couple of DWTS stories on various entertainment news shows and thought I’d share.

Extra

Access Hollywood - Ty cracks me up!! As does the Gilles/Tony Bromance. Does this make me a shipper?

USAToday.com article called “‘Dancing’ Stars find new fans and more opportunities”.  The focus of this article is mainly on Gilles, but it’s a pretty interesting read all the way around. Here are a few excerpts and the picture they used:

LOS ANGELES — Hours after actor Gilles Marini and dance partner Cheryl Burke wrapped up a rumba that drew a standing ovation from the Dancing With the Stars studio audience, he needs a body tuneup.

Soft New Age music and a soothing tabletop waterfall in chiropractor Tom Rudenko’s office are a quiet contrast to the boisterous theatrics at ABC’s hit ballroom competition. But they’re just the tonic for weary Marini.

The potential payoff is far bigger than bragging rights and the cheesy mirror-ball trophy awaiting Dancing’s winners on the May 19 finale. Yes, the actors, athletes, singers, models and reality stars who have appeared since its 2005 debut have risked injury and humiliation on live TV. But Dancing also has jump-started careers, polished tarnished reputations and generated opportunities in ways most of them couldn’t imagine.

Lil’ Kim, the pint-sized rapper best known for R-rated lyrics, breast pasties and prison time for perjury, was ousted last week. But during her stint, viewers saw the sweet demeanor and feisty spirit of a hip-hop artist shaking her booty to the cha-cha. “I think I’ve already won,” she says. “This has shown another side of me. I’ve got new fans. Acting makes sense; I could see doing a kids’ show. Definitely, the music will be different.”

For Johnson, 17, who may aim for the 2012 Olympics, Dancing provides more options. “It’s really given me the opportunity to see what else is out there. I never thought about acting. Now? Maybe,” she says, giggling.

Even show regulars have managed to parlay Dancing into opportunity. Co-host Samantha Harris is subbing as host of syndicated game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Burke, who opens her third dance studio this week, also has an apparel line and endorsement deals. Pro dancer Julianne Hough is leaving to focus on a promising singing career.

Anna Demidova really lit up the stage on Dancing with the Stars. I’m with the judges for once and really hope that America votes Anna Demidova as the next professional on Dancing with the Stars season 9. She definitely deserves it. Don’t believe me, check out the videos below or check out Anna Demidova before Dancing with the Stars.

Video of Anna Demidova and Maks Chmerkovskiy dancing a quickstep on Dancing with the Stars to the song “Almost Like Being in Love” — Frank Sinatra

Video of Anna Demidova and Maks Chmerkovskiy dancing a Samba on Dancing with the Stars to the song “Crayons” — Donna Summer feat. Ziggy Marley

UPDATE: Fans of Anna Demidova will also like this video of Anna and Derek Hough dancing at the Grove to the Ballas Hough Band. Anna comes on at about 2:17 into the video.

I’ve found it really interesting to follow the various people on Dancing with the Stars on Twitter. I’m certain I’m missing a bunch of the Dancing with the Stars pros and celebrities that are on Twitter. Here’s the list I have so far:
@GillesDWTS
@MelissaDWTS and @MelRy217
@TyDWTS
@HollyDWTS
@officialdhough
@officialMBallas
@ShawneyJ
@MaksimC
@Karina_Smirnoff
@LaceySchwimmer
@lilkimsworld
@Tom_Bergeron
@TISamHarris

Other Twitter IDs related to Dancing with the Stars include:
@Chuck_Wicks
@ABC_DWTS
@votewoz
@ShannonElizab
@BrookeBurke
@SabrinaBryan

If know of other ones, leave them in the comments and I’ll update the post for all to share. You can also follow the Pure TV Network on twitter under the name @TVBlog.