DWTS: Final whistle as judges give Bastick the boot
It was the final whistle for former Dublin footballer Denis Bastick, who last night became the sixth celebrity to be eliminated from RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars. The All-Ireland winner went head to head with Fair City actress Clelia Murphy in the dance-off, with the judges favouring her Charleston this week to ‘I Got Rhythm’ by The Puppini Sisters over Bastick’s paso doble to ‘Carnivale de Paris’ by Dario G.
“Thanks to all the support I’ve got to get me this far, from all the people I’ve met.” Bastick said after learning his fate.
“It’s been an unbelievable experience. I didn’t know what I was getting myself in for at the start, but as the weeks went on, it was just more and more enjoyable. Thanks to everyone I have met along the way. Thanks everyone who’s involved and helped me out, and obviously the support of family at home and stuff like that has been great,” he said.
Dance partner Valeria Milova paid tribute to the eliminated Bastick.
“This guy deserves the world, it was a pure pleasure for me every day to work with him and he delivered every single dance that I choreographed for him,” she said.
“It was a really special season for me as well. So I’m really grateful to have this guy with me,” Milova said.
The programme aired just a day after the death of John Ward, father of actor and Dancing with the Stars contestant Johnny Ward, who went ahead with his dance — a samba with partner Emily Barker to ‘Shape of You’ by Ed Sheeran. Ward dedicated his performance to his father.
“It’s been a very difficult week,” he said. “I’d like to thank to all the staff in Tallaght Hospital and Harold’s Cross hospice, as much as I enjoy competing in this competition, it comes second and family comes first.”
Ward revealed his father told him to continue in the competition.
“Not one person in this whole competition didn’t send me messages this week, it’s a family,” he said.
The judges paid tribute to Ward’s decision to perform in such difficult circumstances.
“The bravery that you showed coming out to perform tonight, I know your father would have been very proud,” Brian Redmond said. Julian Benson said it was a ‘no frills samba’.
“I am in love with your dancing,” he said. “I know the strength and courage it took to get on the floor, you danced for your life tonight. You’re a wonderful dancer Johnny and tonight you did a super job.”
Ward’s score of 28 was the highest of the night, followed by the 26 awarded to Clelia Murphy. She said she wasn’t put off by the fact that she was in the dance off for the second week in a row.
“I’m just so lucky to be here in the first instance but if I’m lucky enough to dance again and again and again then bring it on and thanks very much,” she said.
I’m happy, I’m glad I met all these people.
In other performances, country singer Cliona Hagan danced a salsa with partner Robert Rowinski to ‘Mujer Latina’ by Thalía, scoring 25.
Broadcaster Mairéad Ronan and John Nolan danced an American Smooth to ‘Beyond the Sea’ by Robbie Williams, which received 22 points from the judges.
Comedian Fred Cooke scored 20 for his Viennese Waltz with Giulia Dotta to ‘With a Little Help from my Friends’ by Joe Cocker. The celebrities and their partners faced a new challenge this week when they had to perform a second dance.
The couples were split into two teams and each team had to perform a routine while the judges scored each individual couple within the team out of 30. Scores for the individual team members where then added to their overall scores.
‘Team Past’ featured Clelia Murphy and Vitali Kozmin, Denis Bastick and Valeria Milova and Cliona Hagan and Robert Rowinski who all performed to ‘All that Jazz’ the Castro Remix. They scored a total of 29 points.
‘Team Future’ comprised of Fred Cooke and Giulia Dotta, Mairéad Ronan and John Nolan and Johnny Ward and Emily Barker who all danced to Lady Gaga’s ‘Born this Way’, scoring a total of 26 points.
Next week sees the competition reach the quarter final stage.
