Dancing With the Stars hopes for a recovery from last week’s flubbed ending and elimination by throwing it back to the 1980s. In Monday’s latest live episode, the 12 remaining celebrities and their pro dance partners will sweep onto the ballroom floor to dance to the hits of the ’80s. The featured songs include Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love,” Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now,” Huey Lewis & The News’ “The Power of Love” and Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule The World.”
Aside from the competition, a big story in the new episode, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC Monday, will be host Tyra Banks‘ redemption from last week’s mistakes. At the end of the episode, she announced Cheer star Monica Aldama and pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy were safe from elimination. This was wrong though, as they were one of the two pairs to get the least amount of votes from fans. Aldama and Chmerkovskiy were brought back on stage and were saved. The judges chose to eliminate actress Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe.
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Fans at home began calling for Banks to be fired and Tom Bergeron brought back. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba defended Banks during Tuesday’s episode of The Talk, noting it was not the new host’s fault. “It was not Tyra’s fault. She had the wrong names given to her at the beginning of the elimination round. It was a technical error in the booth about counting the votes,” Inaba explained. She “felt badly” for everyone involved, especially considering how stressful the elimination can be. Inaba assured viewers the Dancing with the Stars team has taken steps to make sure it does not happen again. While we all wait to see how ’80s Night goes off without a hitch, here’s a look at the full lineup for the night.
Monica Aldama (‘Cheer’) and pro Val Chmerkovskiy
The Netflix star will be dancing the tango to the classic “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell. Originally recorded by Gloria Jones, the cover by Soft Cell is a staple on any ’80s playlist and should provide the perfect sound for the decade. Will be interesting to see if cheerleading skills make a difference in the performance.
Kaitlyn Bristowe (‘The Bachelorette’) and pro Artem Chigvintsev
The Bachelorette star is also taking on the tango to “I Think We’re Alone Now” as performed by Tiffany. This is another cover of a classic, originally from Tommy James and The Shondells. Tiffany, funny enough, has not been on the show despite her ’80s “rival” Debbie Gibson appearing early on.
Vernon Davis (former NFL player) and pro Peta Murgatroyd
A third tango is lined up thanks to the former NFL star, and he’s performing to “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. The classic cemented the band’s status as a staple of rock and roll history, becoming a song that transcended pop culture and the “hair metal” genre Bon Jovi could’ve easily been grouped into.
Skai Jacksonโฏ(actress) and pro Alan Bersten
Huey Lewis making a comeback!? Disney Channel star Skai Jackson will perform a jazz dance to “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & The News, their hit from Back to The Future and a catchy slice of ’80s magic. If anything, this is a dance that should provide some fun for the fans at home.
Justina Machado (actress) and pro Sasha Farber
The second jazz dance comes from One Day at A Time star Justina Machado. She’ll perform to “Maniac” by Michael Sembello, made famous by the ’80s hit Flashdance. It’s unknown just how much of the film Machado will channel during the performance, specifically the film’s soaking wet dance scene.
AJ McLeanโฏ(Backstreet Boys singer) and pro Cheryl Burke
The Backstreet Boys star is set to do the waltz to the classic “Open Arms” by Journey. Steve Perry will not be in attendance, we guess, but it should still prove to be a popular dance if the former boy band star can tap into his past and pull out a great win.
Jeannie Mai (‘The Real’) and pro Brandon Armstrong
Our third jazz dance on ’80s night comes from The Real co-host Jeannie Mai to “Like a Virgin” by Madonna. Risque could be the term use for this performance, but Madonna does already hold the territory. Mai could be practicing a tune that goes in a different direction completely.
Jesse Metcalfe (actor) and pro Sharna Burgess
The Desperate Housewives alum is doing the tango to “Everybody Wants to Rule The World” by Tears for Fears. Kurt Smith and Roland Orzabal were a powerful duo in the ’80s, though it does seem like an odd choice for a tango. Will be interesting to see how it goes.
Nelly (rapper) and pro Daniella Karagach
Nelly won’t be without some classic music behind his samba performance on Monday. He’ll dance to “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge and forget all those worries that he has inside from previous weeks. While it’s unlikely he’ll dance until the sun rises, he should be able to bring some good times to the ballroom.
Nev Schulman (‘Catfish: The Series’) and pro Jenna Johnson
It is not an ’80s celebration without this song. Nev Schulman from Catflish will quickstep to “Take on Me” by a-ha. Will the house band be able to hit that high note? Will the dance be impressive? Is it possible to have the band themselves in attendance? Not likely, but it’s a classic with or without them.
Chrishell Stause (‘Selling Sunset’) and pro Gleb Savchenko
The Selling Sunset star will dance the Cha Cha to “You Got it (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids on the Block. It should be familiar to fans of the show given how some members of the group have been contestants. A.J. McLean has also spent plenty of time on the road with the group, so all in attendance will be able tread familiar ground.
Johnny Weir (former ice skater) and pro Britt Stewart
Johnny Weir will bring his Olympic style to the contemporary dance to the tune of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Taylor. The melodrama is high in the song, thanks to that Jim Steinman flavor, but it fits perfectly with Weir’s entire being. If this isn’t dance of the night, it’ll be shocking.