Julianne Hough News (Page 4)

Maxsim Chmerkovskiy talked a good game, but it wasn't enough to propel his partner Melanie Brown to victory.

Fans voted race car driver Helio Castroneves and partner Julianne Hough the winners of this season's Dancing with the Stars last night. We think they made the right choice.

"[The trophy] will look so good between my two Indy 500 trophies," Helio told the Associated Press.

Other highlights of the results show included a return by Sabrina Bryan and a shirtless All My Children star. Yup, Cameron Mathison ditched his top after a routine. Hubba. Hubba.

Julianne Hough has a message for viewers: She's just friends with Entourage star Kevin Connolly.

The season four Dancing With the Stars champion told People magazine she and Connolly met and "talk on the phone a lot. But we're just friends."

Connolly confirmed this to Howard Stern Monday, though he couldn't help but gush about the 19-year-old beauty. The two met at L.A. hot spot Hyde.

Since then, Connolly told Stern he's "actively pursuing" Hough and talks to her practically every day. He even went to see her perform at a Dancing with the Stars taping.

The man is dedicated.

Connolly says he considers Hough "a 15" on his scale, a score that takes into account her flawless looks and infectious personality. Connolly encouraged Stern's listeners to vote for Julianne.

"Aw. That's really sweet. That's very flattering. But we're just friends," Hough said when told of Connolly's comments.

A petite blonde woman sits spellbound in the Dancing with the Stars studio audience as the couples make their entrances.

Last season, Marriann Nelson screamed herself hoarse cheering for her daughter, the sensational young ballroom pro Julianne Hough.

"This season," she tells TV Guide, "I thought, 'I'll be calm.' But when they both came out â€" my daughter on one side and my son on the other â€" I just lost it."

Mom isn't the only one wild about Julianne and her equally talented big brother, Derek.

Julianne danced her way into the winner's circle last season with Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and poses a serious threat once again with her new partner, two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

Meanwhile, newcomer Derek has shown remarkable grace under pressure by regaining his footing with Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jennie Garth after the two slipped and fell at the end of the second week's performance.

"It's good when things like that happen sometimes," he says, "just to remind people that this is real, this is live."

If these two show unusual maturity for such young performers, it's because they've been rehearsing all their lives.

To read the full article, click here.

Dancing with the Stars fans enjoy celebrity gossip as much as anyone.

The latest? That this season's winner, Apolo Anton Ohno, and her partner Julianne Hough are an item. It's simply false, each states.

"There's no truth to [the rumors of a romantic relationship]. Our relationship was strictly professional. It was sometimes goofy, but strictly professional," Ohno told the New York Post.

Fueling speculation about a possible romance was the fact that Hough canceled her August 8, 2007 wedding to former dancer Zach Wilson less than two weeks before Dancing with the Stars' fourth season finale.

Hough and Wilson were planning to wed in a Mormon ceremony in her home state of Utah, but due to her busy schedule with Ohno on Dancing with the Stars, the couple instead decided to wait to tie the knot. However, Ohno says Hough's wedding postponement and his chemistry with the 18-year-old professional dancer should not cause people to speculate.

"We had great chemistry on the dance floor, which is why people think [we're romantically involved]. It meant I was doing my job [as a dancer]," Ohno said.

Having spent the last month in China as part of a performing-arts group from Brigham Young University, where he's currently enrolled as a pre-dental student, Wilson recently told TV Guide he's also aware of the rumors about his fiancee and Ohno.

"I've heard a lot about that," he said. "Because I'm a dancer I know what performing takes. I've been involved in ballroom a lot, so I know there has to be chemistry when you dance together. It doesn't mean that there's any romance going on. And I know personally that there's not, because I've been with them in rehearsals and I've gotten to know Apolo really well. He's a really nice guy. So it doesn't bother me."

While he may be aware of the chemistry needed to succeed in the ballroom, Wilson said he still understands how Ohno and Hough's compatibility on the dance floor could be confused as romance by the average Dancing with the Stars' viewer.

"If I didn't know her and I was watching the show, I would think that they were in love," he told TV Guide. "But I do know her and they're not. They're just good friends."

Instead of being jealous, Wilson said he's proud of Hough and her accomplishment.

"She's incredible," he told TV Guide. "I just love her so much. I knew from the moment I met her that she would be a star. There was no question in my mind."

Also, come on: if Hough were gonna hook up with a star on the show, wouldn't it be that hottie Maksim Chmerkovskiy?

Ten weeks of Dancing with the Stars has gone down to this week, this night.

With just three top-notch couples remaining, which stepped up its game? Can Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy overcome their underdog status when compared with the moves of Joey Fatone and Apolo Anton Ohno?

It was quite the night of moving and shaking. Read about it now in our episode guide!

Two dances, two perfect scores? Which Dancing with the Stars couple pulled off this feat last night?

Was it the current favorites, Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough? Or maybe Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson stepped up their game after being dropped to the final two last week.

Without her legendary father in attendance this time, how did Laila Ali fare? There's only one way to discover the answers to all these pressing questions ...

Read our week 9 episode guide right now!

Julianne Hough is a master at the quickstep on Dancing with the Stars â€" but she's taking her romance slow.

Hough is Apolo Ohno's partner on the reality show - and has now postponed her planned Aug. 8 wedding to former dancer Zach Wilson.

But does that mean she's free to date?

"No!" Hough tells People magazine. "[Zach and I] are still together. We just want [more time] before we get married. It's all good!"

Well, okay then.

The couple had planned to tie the knot in Mormon ceremony in Utah this summer. But Hough says she's so busy with the show that they decided to take some time.

For now, Hough is concentrating on Dancing as the competition heats up. After Billy Ray Cyrus was booted from the show on Tuesday, Hough wiped away tears and said: "It gets harder as all these people leave."

It was an evening of TWO dances last night. Ballroom and Latin were on the agenda for our Dancing with the Stars contestants.

Were there any perfect scores? Are Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough still the favorites? Or did a shirtless Maksim Chmerkovskiy steal their shoe-tapping thunder?

There's only one way to find out: Read through our Episode Guide right now.

On April 13, many in the Dancing with the Stars cast attended the 14th Annual Race to Erase MS.

Here are a few photos from the charity event, starting with this year's current favorites, Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough:

Next, take a look at a happy, romantic couple. Yes, that really is Matthew Lawrence with his arm around Cheryl Burke:

Finally - look out! - a giant close up of Joey Fatone is coming your way. We doubt the ladies will mind, however:

After saying goodbye to Leeza Gibbons last week, it's on to the latest round of moving and shaking ...

Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke (Samba) - Ian is definitely capable of more attitude and athleticism, and the judges are on to him. His arm muscles were the most impressive of the night, but his Samba was mediocre when compared with Apolo's. Ian admitted that he had trouble getting into the character of the dance. If he's going to make it to the finals, he will have to overcome that challenge. Score: 24 (all 8s)

Clyde Drexler and Elena Grinenko (Rumba) - Early on in the competition, the judges encouraged Clyde to take advantage of his long legs and open up on the dance floor. But he is still not heeding this advice. We keep waiting for him to surprise the audience with a little more movement, but no such luck. Clyde and Elena's Rumba was very subdued. The judges showed the couple no mercy, calling Clyde the worst dancer in the competition. Score: 13 (4, 5, 4) Deserved, but ouch.

Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts (Samba) - We never noticed that Jonathan was the only male professional with hair on his chest, but Heather did. She insisted that her partner get the "Steve Carell" treatment (that's chest-waxing, for those of you who didn't see The 40-Year-Old Virgin). The pair performed a lively, entertaining Samba. Heather is a great performer, but she was not at her technical best tonight. Their performance took an unlucky turn when Heather's foot slipped on Jonathan's baby-smooth chest, sending her to the floor butt-first. The judges gave her a break, since the rest of the dance was more than competent. We're guessing that the fall will motivate Heather to really bring it next week. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7)

Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson (Rumba) - Joey wanted to shed his goofy side and get into the sexy character of the Rumba. He was flexible and focused, and he even grabbed Kym's butt a few times for good measure. We loved the couple's costumes, particularly Kym's beautiful dress. The judges gave Joey some grief for being too feminine, and Carrie Ann thought that Joey "over-performed" the dance. Bruno was the sole voice of dissent, calling the performance "strong and soft." Score: 25 (8, 8, 9)

John Ratzenberger and Edyta Sliwinska (Samba) - John seemed to take last week's brutal comments to heart, comparing the remarks to a "playground taunting." He stopped himself from pouting, though, which is admirable.He's a charming, lovable guy, and his personality could save him this week. John might end up in the bottom two, but he will probably escape elimination. Score: 18 (6, 6, 6)

Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Rumba) - Laila's fiancé made a hilarious appearance during practice, and kept a close eye on the placement of Maksim's hands. Fortunately for all of us, his influence didn't carry over into the couple's performance. Laila's Rumba was hot and flirtatious, and she looked as flawless as ever. As long as the pair can follow the rules and maintain their sex appeal, they have a real shot at winning. Len thought it was Laila's best performance ever, and Bruno thought she was "smoldering." Score: 28 (9, 10, 9)

Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough (Samba) - Apolo Anton Ohno confessed that he desperately wanted a 10, and he got three of them. The first perfect score of the season was well-deserved. Apolo and Julianne did their best to go from cute to sexy, and they pulled it off. These two can really get into the spirit of every dance that they perform. Len said that all of the elements of their performance came together, and Carrie Ann called the Samba "perfection." They have to get the encore tomorrow, and we cannot wait to see them dance again. Score: 30 (10,10,10)

Billy Ray Cyrus and Karina Smirnoff (Rumba) - Few men can pull off a pastel purple sleeveless shirt, and Billy Ray is not one of them. Billy Ray's Rumba was a step backward in terms of skill and entertainment value. Karina basically lap-danced around him. The worst part was Billy Ray's attempt at sexiness, which came off more like smarminess. The guy is starting to give us the creeps. Carrie Ann praised Billy Ray's technical skills, while Bruno compared him to a "pillar of salt." Len said that Billy Ray traded the romance of the Rumba for "hanky-panky in the back of a Chevy." Nobody was amused by Billy Ray's predictable response. Billy Ray had a lot of potential early on, but his performances have plateaued. Fan votes are the only thing keeping him alive. Score: 17 (6, 6, 5)