The seventh season of Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 22, 2008 as a part of American Broadcasting Company (ABC)'s fall line-up. Instead of 12 couples like previous seasons, this was the first season to showcase a lineup of 13 couples. This season also introduced four new dances: the Hustle, the Salsa, the Jitterbug, and the West Coast Swing, as well as Team Dancing.
Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris return as the show's hosts. Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba continue as the judges this season, with Michael Flatley having appeared temporarily as a guest judge for Len Goodman during Week 6.
Dancing With The Stars Season 7 - Now there are only three pairs left to compete in the Finals after Cody Linley has been voted off in week 9 of Dancing With The Stars.
The youngest competitor of "Dancing With the Stars," Cody Linley - 18-year-old "Hannah Montana" star was eliminated November 18, 2008 together with partner and friend Julianna HoughJeffrey Ross & Edyta Sliwinska - voted off in week 1
Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer - voted off in week 1
Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas - voted off in week 2
Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - retired with injury in week 3
Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff - voted off in week 4
Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo - voted off in week 5
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas - voted off in week 6
Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani - Voted off in week 7
Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke - Voted off in week 8
Cody Linley & Julianne Hough - Voted off in week 9
The remaining 3 pairs of DWTS in the FinalsWarren Sapp & Kym Johnson
Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer
Brooke Burke & Derek Hough
Dance Schedule for Dancing With The Stars Season 7:The celebrities and professional partners will dance one of these routines for each corresponding week.
* Week 1 (Night 1): Cha-cha-cha or Foxtrot
* Week 1 (Night 2): Mambo or Quickstep
* Week 2: Paso Doble or Rumba
* Week 3: Jive or Viennese Waltz
* Week 4: Samba or Tango
* Week 5: Hustle, Jitterbug, Salsa, or West Coast Swing
* Week 6: One unlearned dance from Week 1 to 4 & Old School Hip-Hop group routine
* Week 7: One unlearned dance from Week 1 to 4 & Cha-cha-cha or Paso Doble team dance
* Week 8: Two unlearned dances (one Ballroom, one Latin) from Week 1 to 4 (with a 15 second solo segment for the Latin dances)
* Week 9: Final unlearned Latin dance from Week 1 to 4 & one unlearned dance from Week 5 (Len Goodman's Masterclass)
* Week 10: Samba Face-Off (each dance set to the same song), Freestyle; Returning Stars' Dance, Favorite Dance of the Season (Week 1 to Week 9)
Burke crowned 'Dancing with the Stars' queen
By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer
Brooke Burke waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy on the "Dancing with the Stars" finale.The 37-year-old TV personality and mother of four dominated the seventh season of the popular ABC dancing competition and bested former NFL player Warren Sapp and former 'NSync member Lance Bass during the Tuesday night finale, in which she reprised an emotional Viennese waltz routine that earned her a perfect score from the show's panel of judges.
"Unbelievable," was all Burke could muster after winning amid a flurry a confetti.
From the outset, the slinky former host of E!'s "Wild On" and CBS' "Rock Star" commanded the ballroom this season, coming in first place eight out of 10 times and receiving a 10 -- the judges' top score -- 16 times. Burke was crowned the latest "Dancing with the Stars" champion after the judges' scores -- 88 out of 90 -- were combined with viewers' votes.
"I actually can't believe it," said Derek Hough, Burke's professional partner, who's never won the competition. "I really can't. I honestly can't. The journey's been so long. It's been tough. It's been wonderful. It's been everything I could ever hope for. Wow. I can't believe we actually did it, girl."
Burke maintained an eight point lead over Sapp, the charismatic 35-year-old fan favorite whose technique was consistently criticized by the judges. Sapp still managed to hustle his way into second place with professional partner Kym Johnson, despite receiving one point less from the judges than the third place finisher, 29-year-old singer Bass.
"From the moment you start, you make me smile," head judge Len Goodman told Sapp.
Bass and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were upbeat about their loss. The pair danced away after their dismissal. And he's not hanging up his dancing shoes just yet. The former boybander will join professional dancers and other former contestants for the 38-city "Dancing with the Stars" tour, which is set to kick off Dec. 17 in San Diego.
"You never took the safe road once," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bass during the finale.
Previously dismissed celebrities -- actor Cody Linley; sprinter Maurice Greene; actresses Susan Lucci and Cloris Leachman; chef Rocco DiSpirito; reality TV star Kim Kardashian; actor Ted McGinley; and comedian Jeffrey Ross -- also returned for a last dance. Injured volleyball player Misty May-Treanor and singer Toni Braxton remained off their feet.
Profile/Biodata of Brooke BurkeBorn Brooke Lisa Burke
September 8, 1971 (1971-09-08) (age 37)
Hartford, Connecticut
Spouse(s) Dr. Garth Fisher (2001-2005)
Domestic partner(s) David Charvet (2006-present)
Early lifeBurke was born as the first of nine children in Hartford, Connecticut to Donna and George Burke, she was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother is Jewish and she identifies herself as Jewish; she also has Irish, French, and Portuguese ancestry. She attended both Sahuaro High School and Palo Verde High Schools in Tucson. She studied broadcast journalism at UCLA, but initially pursued a modeling career. She was signed to top modeling agencies, including the renowned Ford Models Agency, and subsequently appeared in prominent television commercials for Bally Fitness Clubs, Coca-Cola, and Discover Card.
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