Backstage Report: Wayne Newton's Sent Back to Vegas

The Las Vegas Legend Lets Loose About His Dismissal and 'Dancing'

October 10 -- Wayne Newton's 'Dancing With the Stars' world came to an end on Tuesday night when the legendary entertainer and his partner Cheryl Burke were voted off.

The singer shared with AOL's Michael Maloney thoughts on his last twirl on the ABC reality show dance floor.

How do you feel?
I'm excited for the rest of the people and I'm pulling for them. I'm going to miss Cheryl, the crew and everyone, but I'm looking forward to going home.

What will you miss about being here?
(Laughs) I'm not going to miss the rehearsals and the dreaming (of the music) at night. The songs keep going through your mind! With the hum of (the airplane) engine, I kept hearing the tango.

What will you take away from this experience?
A lot of friends that I didn't have before. Everyone's been incredible and I'll remain friends with people here for the rest of my life. I'd do it all again. That says it all.

Of her dancing partner, Burke shared, "Wayne did an amazing job. He worked so hard. I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Newton and Burke (who plans to possibly open her own dance studio) weren't the only ones to exit 'Dancing' on Tuesday night; Drew Lachey, (season two winner), wrapped up filling in for co-host Samantha Harris, who has been on maternity leave and returns to the show next week.

"[Drew and I] had a great time," said co-host Tom Bergeron. "It was a different energy because he's been through the competition with Cheryl and won. He can talk to the contestants in a way that [no one else] can. We wanted to have a dynamic that people didn't expect and having Drew here achieved that." As for Harris' return, a smiling Bergeron added, "It'll be great to see her again."

Watch for Lachey to host a six-week 'Dancing' spin-off series. The one-hour reality show 'Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann' is set to debut next winter.

Jane Seymour and her partner Tony Dolovani were the first couple to learn that they'd be moving on to next week's competition. The actress said she felt the presence of her late mother, who passed away last week. "I was so raw and on the edge and kind of losing it," Seymour recalled. "I prayed to my Mom and said, 'I'm doing this for you. Can you join us?' And I really believe that she did."

"On Monday night, going through that tough time, I knew we were in a bubble together, but I also felt the presence of Jane's mom," added Dolovani. "I felt the two of us and there were also some wings around us that carried us through the entire dance. I have a strong belief in Jane. I believe that there's nothing that she can't do."



While Seymour and Dolovani learned first they were advancing, race car driver Helio Castroneves said he discovered that being called first doesn't necessarily mean a team received the most votes. "Julianne [Hough, my partner] explained to me that there isn't an order," said Castroneves. Hough confirmed: "Right. Even though we were in the last four to be saved, it doesn't mean we didn't have high marks."

As for Newton's exit, Hough added, "Wayne gave it his all. He's a legend and a gentleman. He has class and grace and we're all going to miss him. His aura is so big and kind. It made the atmosphere here a loving one."

Does the charming Castroneves have plans for a career in front of the camera? "If my English [continues to] improve, probably," he responded. "But I love racing. That's my world."

Did the couple feel that they were slightly short-changed by the judges this week? "I thought we had a great dance," Hough said. "Maybe the judges felt we could have done more? But triple 8s [which we received] are really good for the third week. It gives us room to grow. This contest is about progression."

Now that another team is gone, the competition is arguably getting tougher and tougher. Will the dancers start feeling more pressure? "I'm getting more nervous as each week progresses," said Melanie Brown. "Have I practiced enough? Yesterday, I panicked."

Since the Spice Girl dances with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy as well as the couple banters off-camera, these two could not only win the competition but also be given their own sitcom by ABC. A sample post-show exchange between the singer and her shirtless dance partner:
Chmerkovskiy: How much more skin can I show? Maybe I'll come out with no pants.
Brown: Really?
Chmerkovskiy: No.
Brown: Good. I have to dance with you.

Mark Cuban almost didn't hear his and partner Kym Johnson's name being called because he was still clapping upon hearing that Castroneves and Hough were advancing. "I had no idea at first," Cuban said. "Kym gave me a big smile and then I looked at Tom Bergeron and said, 'Is it us?'" The Dallas Mavericks owner said he's been in a lot of high-pressure situations in terms of sports and business, but never anything quite like this. "You don't know what's going to happen next, but this is right up there," Cuban added. "We all have areas in which we're comfortable and others were we have no idea [what's going on]. Now, we got back to work. It's a great thing."

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