Comedian slips under bar to mark time on sideline

Comedian Ewen Gilmour's plea that voting for him would precede more revealing outfits from dance partner Lauren de Boeck was to no avail on TV One's Dancing with the Stars last night.

The seven remaining celebrities - each paired with a professional dancer - tangoed and jived before four judges and a national audience to stave off elimination.

Gilmour's jive failed to stir the pulse in the judges, who gave him the lowest score of the competition so far - 17.

"A vote for me is a vote for less material for Lauren," Gilmour said after judge Paul Mercurio's comments: "You raised the bar last week - you jumped under it tonight."

The nation agreed with the judges, and Gilmour was sent to join Nicky Watson, who was eliminated after round two, in applauding from the sidelines.

For the third round of the hit series, the stars were asked to rock the audience with an energetic jive, or seduce them with a passionate tango.

But it was the jive, not the tango, that stirred the hormones of the judging panel.

"Yummy, I could put you on toast for breakfast," said judge Alison Leonard to actor Theresa Healey after her routine, which started with a steamy kiss with dance partner Peter Wales.

It was a winning strategy for male and female judges alike. Mercurio said: "I didn't want you to stop ... I wanted more kissing."

Actor Shane Cortese impressed once again on his way to a round-high score of 29.

Neither the public nor the judges seemed to mind that he chose a pink outfit to accompany his nimble steps.

While keeping Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt in the competition, the tango was also a perfect way to wipe the permanent grin from his face.

How did he do it? He thought of council rates, he said.

The six remaining couples dance the foxtrot and the paso doble next Sunday, after doing the cha cha, waltz, rumba and quickstep in the first two weeks.