Another celebrity dismissed from 'Dancing'

[May 06, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lil Kim was booted from "Dancing With the Stars."

The curvaceous, pint-sized rapper -- known for her flamboyant, hip-wiggling performance style -- consistently earned high scores throughout the competition, twice topping the judges' leaderboard. But she was eliminated from the hit ABC show Tuesday.

Lil Kim faltered Monday during her waltz with professional partner Derek Hough.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said she saw "a lot of missteps." But judges unanimously praised the rapper's salsa, with Bruno Tonioli proclaiming, "Your booty can do no wrong."

Lil Kim came into Tuesday's results show with the week's second-lowest score: 52 points out of 60. Rodeo champ Ty Murray was in last place with 46 points, but fans kept him afloat, sending him on to compete in next week's semifinal round.

Viewer votes are combined with judges' scores to determine which couple is eliminated each week.

Show host Tom Bergeron told Lil Kim "there was a real shock in this room" when he announced she would be leaving the competition. Head judge Len Goodman said the rapper "has been one of the best dancers" ever to appear on the show.

Lil Kim kept a smile on her face as she learned her fate.

"This is one of the greatest experiences I've ever experienced in my life," she said, adding that she expanded the hit show's viewership, "because I brought people who never watched the show."

Hough said his partner has been one of his favorites.

"She's an amazing person, an amazing soul, and amazing spirit and an amazing dancer," he said.

Tuesday's results show also featured a performance by piano man Jamie Cullum and the continuation of the new professional dance-off: Three pro dancers are vying for viewer votes and a spot on the next season of the hit ABC show.

Besides Murray, three other celebrities are set to face off during next week's semifinal round: Actor Gilles Marini, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and "The Bachelor" star Melissa Rycroft.

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On the Net:

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dancingwiththestars/index?pnindex

[Associated Press]

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