Osmond escapes elimination on 'Stars'

A wardrobe malfunction and bad scores from the judges weren't enough to keep Donny Osmond out of the finals of "Dancing With the Stars."

The 51-year-old show-business veteran and his professional dancing partner, Kym Johnson, got enough support from viewers to make it to the final three of this year's competition.

Even Osmond looked somewhat startled — and highly relieved — when it was announced that he and Johnson escaped elimination.

"Sure, he was surprised," said Osmond's son, Don, who was one of many family members in the studio audience on Tuesday night. "This show, it throws curve balls every week. So we were all very nervous."

Don Osmond said his father sort of expected to be eliminated after Monday's performance. Donny got caught in the ripped hem of Johnson's dress as they tried to tango, resulting in incredibly bad (for "DWTS") scores of seven out of 10 from all three judges.

Donny Osmond said he was "embarrassed" by what happened, then changed his mind.

"No, I'm mad that I blew it," he said.

Turns out he didn't. Fan support swept him into the finals.

"He's on Cloud 9," Don Osmond said. "He did what he came to do. He tied Marie."

His somewhat surprising advancement means that, at worst, Donny has equaled the "DWTS" achievement of his sister. Marie Osmond made it to the finals in the fall of 2007, where she finished third.

"Now he's in a position to where he can beat Marie. He'd love to do that," Don Osmond said.

While ABC does not announce fan vote totals, Osmond obviously drew huge support, because he was in fourth place based on the judges' ballots. Following Monday's competition, Mya and Dmitry Chaplin led with 87 points; Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough 81; Kelly Osbourne and Louis van Amstel 78; and Osmond and Johnson 74.

And yet after viewers' votes were added, Krupa and Hough were out.

The finalists will perform in a 90-minute episode on Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. on ABC/Ch. 4. The winner will be announced at the end of a two-hour episode on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 8 p.m.

And Donny will keep on dancing on the toe he broke more than a month ago.

"It still affects him. It still hurts. You're beating your feet up every day," Don Osmond said, adding that his father is also dancing in the Las Vegas Hilton show he's headlining with Marie. "But you can't expect to do 'Dancing With the Stars' and not get hurt.

"We know he'll do great next week."

e-mail: pierce@desnews.com