Marie Osmond collapses and Mark Cuban goes home

Can you say drama? It was a crazy week for Dancing With the Stars, with one contestant passing out cold and another worrying about the California fires possibly destroying her home.

It’s easy to forget that Dancing With the Stars is a live show. Normally, the routines are so smooth and the production so slick, it feels like the show is taped. But that came to a screeching halt Monday night, when Marie Osmond passed out cold as she faced the judges, following her routine. Half the audience laughed, assuming she was just using her wacky sense of humor to do a joke. But, it became clear quickly it wasn’t a joke, as her body was still and the crowd grew silent. Her partner Jonathan and host Tom Bergeron quickly yelled for a commercial break, as alarm registered on the judges' faces. She came too during the break and apparently uttered an “oh, crap” on realizing she’d fainted on live television. Osmond explained that she sometimes passes out when she gets winded. Her partner later said that she’d had a difficult week, with flying to Canada, performing two concerts, and battling a light case of asthma, aggravated by the smoky air in California.

I noticed during her routine that she seemed off of the beat. It looked like she’d missed some steps and was breathing hard. She seemed out of synch with the music. Then, she strangely jumped up and down excitedly before facing the judges.

By popular demand, I’ve included the video at the end of this column for those of you who missed it.

Since Osmond was the first competitor, the fainting seemed to set an odd tone for the entire night. Everyone seemed a bit on edge. I’m sure all the contestants were rattled, after watching their teammate lying on the floor for 30 seconds unconscious. It showed in their dances. Honestly, I wasn’t wowed by anyone’s routine. Maybe it’s just that I don’t like rhumba. Too much thrusting and gyrating for me. (Wow, I just sounded like Len Goodman.)

The best of the bunch were Cameron and Edyta and Mel and Max, but everyone else seemed a little off. Even crowd pleasers Julianne and Helio got harsh comments from the judges, as Goodman compared their chemistry to that of him and his dentist. Ouch!

Despite a fun routine to the I Dream of Jeannie music, Mark Cuban was sent home Tuesday. It wasn’t a shocker, as he’s clearly the least talented dancer there. The question is, should Osmond have been the one to get the boot? If she admittedly stops breathing in times of stress and physical exertion, I don’t imagine that she should be dancing. She could get hurt, I would think, if she passed out during a routine. Perhaps, voters kept her on for that reason. Maybe they want to see if she’ll go down again. Or perhaps her collapse garnered the sympathy vote.

Speaking of sympathy vote, I feel for Jane Seymour. What else can happen to this woman? She lost her mother recently, and this week, her family was evacuated from their home, due to the raging fires in California. She said earlier that her husband was going to fight the flames, but it’s not clear if he eventually evacuated or not. She deserves the sympathy vote, if you ask me. Then again, Bruno and the judges told her she looked like Edyta at times. So, maybe I shouldn’t sympathize with a 56-year-old, whose body is compared to a 20-something professional dancer.

There were some familiar faces in the crowd this week: Tori Spelling (cheering on pal Jennie Garth); Florence Henderson (no idea why she was there); Jennifer Esposito (an ABC plant to promote her show Samantha Who); Heather Mills (perhaps she missed the ballroom); Rebecca Budig and Bob Guiney (cheering on pal Cameron Mathison) and Alfonso Ribeiro (perhaps he’s hoping to be a contestant.)

And what’s a week of Dancing With the Stars without a verbal tiff between Bruno and Len? It was Sabrina and Mark who got the judges fired up this week, as Len said their rhumba had too many tricks and over-the-top postures. Bruno jumped on Len as soon as the words left his mouth, with Len firing back, “It’s not Cirque de Soleil out there. Don’t talk to me sunshine.”

I thought Sabrina and Mark had excellent chemistry and a good routine. Even Bergeron urged them to, “Get a room.” I’ve been saying since week one, that Sabrina was the best dancer. I still stand by that, but as my pal Becky recently pointed out, Bryan had ballroom dance training before she joined the show. Check it out here at YouTube. So, is it really fair to compare her to Cameron, Helio and Mark Cuban who had no dance training? I don’t think so.

I’m throwing my weight behind Cameron. And no, it’s not just because he’s hot. He’s improved so much, and it’s clear he didn’t know how to dance when this all started. That, and his soap fan base, could help him win the competition. Plus, Edyta has been on since season one, and I’d say she’s earned that mirror-ball trophy.

On a side note, I can’t help but giggle when Helio is interviewed because he always manages to work in the phrase: “I am a racecar driver” in his broken English. We get it Helio; you are a racecar driver. Still, it’s adorable, and so is he.

Next week, Osmond should be the one sent home. Hopefully, it won’t be on a stretcher!

Check out Osmond’s collapse here or just hit play below.

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