‘Dancing with the Stars’ 17 rankings: Amber Riley tops Corbin Bleu, Snooki in first list
Did you like “Dancing with the Stars” Monday night? If so, you’re in luck: We’re back with our first edition of show rankings this year! If you are new to the page, then you may already know how this works. We rank the contestants based on everything from dance ability to personality to even the size of their fan base (at least based on evidence), and then, we ask you to share some of your thoughts in the poll or the comments below.
This week, there’s no question about who is at the top of the list; the biggest question is whether or not a certain “Science Guy” is going to be able to surprise thanks to having a large fanbase; if he does, then who will go home in his place? Just take a look at where we think the contestants stand below.
12. Keyshawn Johnson and Sharna Burgess – The thing that was surprising about Keyshawn wasn’t just that he was a disappointing dancer; he just wasn’t that entertaining. He has been retired for long enough that we don’t quite see him having a diehard following from fans of any one team, and that could hurt his vote more than the average NFL alum.
11. Bill Nye and Tyne Stecklein – Bill is the worst dancer without a doubt, but he’s also extremely popular in a nostalgic sort of way. He is easily one of the most-famous people on the show, and maybe the second-most-famous person behind Snooki. The difference between the two? He’s generally more loved by fans.
10. Christina Milian and Mark Ballas – We thought that Christina would make it to the finale easily, but we thought she was going to come out week 1 and be the best dancer. She wasn’t, and since everyone hated her role on “The Voice,” she is someone who could make for a surprising early exit.
9. Bill Engvall and Emma Slater – Bill was surprisingly … decent? We thought that he was going to be the Carson Kressley of the season (entertaining but terrible), but he actually got some solid scores for the first week. The blue-collar comedy audience should have his back at least for now.
8. Valerie Harper and Tristan MacManus – Judging from the emotional reaction following her routine, it’s easy to see the sitcom legend making it fairly deep in the season. But, we worry about what happens when the show becomes more demanding, and we would be surprised to see her in the top 5. All of the other dancers are people we believe could get there with ease.
7. Brant Daugherty and Peta Murgatroyd – The biggest thing that we’re worried about when it comes to Brant is simply that he went first on the show last week, and his fan following is smaller than most of the dancers on the show. If he makes it far, he’s dangerous; but, he could go early if he makes a few slip-ups.
6. Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani – Leah, like Brant, is a wild card. How many really did like her when she was on “The King of Queens”? Tony has gone out first before, but Leah is at least one of the better-known stars this year. Unfortunately, she is just an average dancer.
5. Elizabeth Berkley and Val Chmerkovskiy – Elizabeth not only gave a great performance, but she has one of the popular pros of the season right now. It always helps to be paired with a Chmerkovskiy, and Val is coming off of two straight appearances in the final weeks of the season.
4. Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke – We don’t believe that Jack is one of the best four dancers this year, but he has three things going for him: A great story, a popular pro in Cheryl, and also a famous family that includes a former contestant in Kelly Osbourne and his mother Sharon. (To think, Ozzy may actually be the smallest draw in the family now.
3. Snooki and Sasha Farber – The surprise of the season? Not really, since we know that “Nicole Polizzi” would probably be a pretty good dancer. Strangely, the biggest thing probably hurting her is her attempt to prove herself as a “good person” and even distancing herself from her famous nickname. We don’t think that she is going to get new fans out of this, so she needs to hang on to the ones that she has. You’re not voting to send someone home; you’re voting to keep someone.
2. Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff – For now, we’re going to say that Corbin is the cream of the crop among the guys simply because he has a ton of potential to be really good, and he should be likable enough to garner some support along the way. Yes, having Karina should also help him get votes.
1. Amber Riley and Derek Hough – But when the dust settles, there is to us really no dispute when it comes to who is actually the best. Amber is not only the best, but she’s likable, has a popular pro, and a big fanbase which includes her “Glee” co-stars and also Nina Dobrev of “The Vampire Diaries.” If she doesn’t win for whatever reason, that is going to be more the story of the season.
Who is your favorite? Of course, we want to hear some of your thoughts below! Meanwhile, click here if you want to read some news about what Derek Hough is going to be doing soon at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Photo: ABC