DWTS Season 18: Elena Grinenko, Part 2

Second to last show of the season and it was a wild one. I think we all agree Meryl will win that Mirror Ball Trophy and I won't be upset about it. She had an incredible season. I felt more connected to Amy's journey, but she's going on to great things so I am not worried about her. I know I put James in second place. I don't think I really believe that's how it will play out, it's just me making a ridiculous prediction for a ridiculous season when it comes to manipulation and scoring.

A big thanks for Elena Grinenko for stepping in at the last minute when Lindsay Arnold couldn't make it. Grinya always offers a insider's perspective on Meryl, Charlie and Maks that we would never have otherwise. 

Who is going to win that MBT? Let me know in the comments below!

AfterBuzz TV DWTS Season 18: Chelsie Hightower

I am so glad you all enjoyed Chelsie Hightower as a guest. Yep, she speaks her mind. Yep, we would love to have her back, but remember it took us four seasons to get her on. It's not easy to work around her busy schedule and she is no longer living in California. I know a lot of you want her in our studio each week, but let's just try for next season first.

This is the time of the season when it gets hard to say goodbye to the contestants. Everyone is worthy, everyone is talented, but only the Top 3 will be there to show off their freestyle dance. We spent a lot of time on Charlie-gate and I understand how frustrated you are about the judging situation….it's annoying. Carrie Ann Inaba is getting quite an earful on her Twitter account. Let me know your thoughts on Charlie-gate in the comments below.

If you missed the show, watch it below:

DWTS Season 18: Gleb Savchenko

What a show! Everyone was hyped up with enthusiasm that I had to quiet the crowds a bit so we could get through 12 dances, new baby, new hosts, smaller band, skybox back, judges' table, voting procedures, etc. It was a lot of material for a 50-minute show.

It will get easier as the weeks go on, but we are thrilled to have Julz Tocker joining us this season. A big thanks to Gleb Savchenko for adding his "I loved it!" commentary from the couch. First elimination next week…do you agree with our predictions? 

Let me know in the comments below!

DWTS Season 18 on AfterBuzz TV

We are almost back for the next season and we do have a few changes to announce. I know many of you on the East Coast hated how late we were on. We heard you and the show will be at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET live on AfterBuzz TV. I hope this makes it easier for you to watch us live this season.

We also have a host change for Season 18 only. Jake DuPree is unable to join us for Season 18 due to a scheduling conflict. He will be back for Season 19 because we all love him so much on our team. Filling in for Jake this season will be a face many of you are familiar with…Julz Tocker! He has graciously decided to step in and help us out. Suri Serano and Anna Trebunskaya will be back, so while we will miss Jake, Julz will add a lot of insight to our team. Make sure to give Julz a big AfterBuzz TV welcome!

Our first guest will be announced soon. You can always keep checking the DWTS Guest Page for more information. UPDATE: First guest is announced!

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Julz Tocker

Hello, Everyone! It was so great to be back in studio with the entire DWTS AfterBuzz TV team. I missed them and I missed you.

I see your comments coming in, so I want to clarify a few things so they make sense to you.

--Sean Cheesman/Derek Hough choreography: I was in NO way implying Derek copied Sean. There are a ton of differences to the routine. The beginning table work reminded me of Sean's choreography, but you can clearly see the the direction each choreographer took. Watch Sean's routine here.

--Debbie Allen: Were you just as shocked as I was to learn about Corbin's dance experience with Debbie Allen? Ms. Allen's school is legendary for producing quality dancers, so I know it shouldn't surprise me…but…wow! It explains a lot about this season.

--Predictions:  We made predictions for next week's possible winner, but as I like to say, "it ain't over until that freestyle hits the floor." I'm expecting top level choreography from Karina and Derek, so it should be a great night of dance. If fans are voting for the best dancer, Corbin or Amber will be the winners. If fans rally around their favorite dancer based on story, Jack or Bill could have a serious shot. (Although I think the judges' scores will not allow this scenario to happen, but we know stranger things have happened.)

--Victor Ortiz: If you missed his appearance last season, you can watch how he mauled the pillows on the AfterBuzz couch during the interview. The chat room fans call it the "Victor Ortiz couch."

We loved having Julz Tocker back in studio. His energy and insight always bring so much to the table. It was really appreciated!

If you missed the show, you can listen here or watch below:

DWTS Week 10

This is it! The Top 4 have been announced for next week's finale and we are ready to talk about what happened last night. We tried to get Tristan MacManus on this week, but his rehearsal schedule is going to prevent him from appearing. Sasha Farber was also in the mix, but he's heading to New Jersey today to rehearse with Snooki. This is the first day many of the eliminated pros are being reunited with their celebs for the finale, so it was a challenge nailing them down.

However, we do have a return guest who kicked off our season, Julz Tocker! He's here in the U.S. this week and I thought we had to take advantage of that…and to all of the people who were tweeting me to get him on--I heard you!

So get those questions in for Julz who was at the show last night (And sitting behind Carrie Ann, did you see him?)
I'm open to taking questions for Anna, too. (And see at how amazing our Mama-to-be looks in Us Weekly.)

The whole crew will be back in studio this week and for the finale next week. It will be a great way to wrap up the season.

Get your questions in the comments section below. See you tonight on AfterBuzz TV at 8 p.m. PT!

NOTE: Next week's show will be at a special time due to the 2-night finale. Finale show is on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 2 p.m. PT.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Julz Tocker

Jake DuPree, Julz Tocker, Kristyn Burtt

The day is finally here! We are back in studio for Season 17 of DWTS. I thought Julz Tocker was a really fun first guest. I was so happy he was at the show the night before because he gave us insight that we wouldn't have normally had. With all of the changes, I think it was an important aspect to talk about.

A couple of things that I want to address from our show last night:
1. Tyne Stecklein: I've seen the forums. I've seen what everyone has said. I want to take a different approach to talking about the situation. It's her first year. The producers wanted her. She danced with MJ, so she can dance. Ballroom is not her background, but look....she's trying in front of 16.2 million of us on live television. Let's give her our support.

2. Troupe: I think we are seeing how important the troupe is for training, choreography and learning the rhythm of the show. The transition to pro was much easier for Sharna, Emma and Sasha...discuss.

3. Choreography: This season, I really want to hold the pros even more accountable for what they are putting out there each week. It's why some of the cast members have been nominated for Emmys. We made it a part of our discussion each week on SYTYCD for Season 10, so I would like to discuss it more on AfterBuzz TV this season. Do you agree?

Thanks for all of your support. We are so glad to be back with all of you. I'm working hard on a guest for next week!