Dancing With the Stars contestant Nikki Webster has accused judge Todd McKenney of using her ousting from the hit rating TV show to get publicity for himself.
McKenney gave Webster and her dance partner, Sasha Farber, a score of one out of 10 after the couple performed the tango.
Fellow judge Paul Mercurio gave Webster’s performance a seven while Helen Ritchie and Mark Wilson marked it a six.
“It was pretty harsh,” Webster said.
“Todd knew what he was doing.
“This was the way he wanted it to go. He wanted a bit of publicity for himself and I think it worked because he has been doing interviews all day.”
The singer said McKenney knew exactly what he was doing when he gave her such a low score last night.
“It is television,” she said.
“It is glitz and glamour and I think he (McKenney) kind of got carried away with it being a professional ballroom dancing competition.”
McKenney’s score has been a hot subject on talkback radio and host Darryl Somers said the Seven Network switchboard was going “crazy”.
However, McKenney disputed claims the low score was to boost his own publicity.
“I would rather do nude cartwheels across the Sydney Harbour Bridge if I wanted to do that (for publicity),” said McKenney, who is best known for playing the lead in the Australian production of The Boy From Oz.
McKenney said Webster and Farber simply didn’t perform the required moves for the tango.
“There is no sport in bashing up Nikki Webster. There is no delight in it,” he said.
“The best of her abilities in the tango just weren’t there. It was a snappy routine … but everyone has to play (by) the same rules and they threw that away.”
Webster shot to fame at the age of 13 after appearing in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, guiding an estimated four billion viewers on a journey through Australia’s history from the Dreamtime to the present day.
She then went on to launch a singing career, with hits such as Strawberry Kisses and Follow Your Heart.
Webster was dumped by BMG when the label merged with Sony early this year.
Last night, Webster cried when told it was her time to leave Dancing With the Stars.
“I have formed really great friendships with some of the contestants so I was upset about leaving them,” she said.
Webster’s departure leaves radio and TV personality Derryn Hinch, The Great Outdoors presenter Tom Williams, Home and Away’s Jason Smith, former footballer Ian Roberts and actor Holly Brisley in the competition.
Celebrities already voted off the show include Big Brother‘s Sara-Marie Fedelle, former Olympic swimmer Shane Gould and TV presenter Suzie Wilks.
The show has been a ratings hit for Seven, regularly securing close to one million viewers on a Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s episode won the night for the network with 1.9 million people tuning in.
– AAP
Source: The Age