‘Dancing with the Stars 4’ Update: TV Mobster Out of the Competition

by Jill Jones -- 03/01/2007
We haven’t even seen a cha cha, but already Dancing with the Stars has lost a contestant. Why did former TV mobster Vincent Pastore drop out? Was he afraid of cement shoes? Also, what’s the latest on Heather Mills?

The new season of Dancing with the Stars hasn’t even started yet and already a change in the cast is being announced. According to People magazine online and other sources, Vincent Pastore has withdrawn from the competition, citing the physical demands of the contest.

Vincent, who is 60 years old, has also appeared on Celebrity Fit Club 4 despite having triple bypass surgery. While I commend him for giving Dancing with the Stars a shot, he is probably better off not pushing his luck when it comes to his health. Who knows… if he continues training, conditioning his body, and getting into shape, he may be able to compete on a future season.

If someone were going to be added to the cast and paired up with Vincent’s former partner Edyta Sliwinska, it would have to happen soon. The show is scheduled to begin on Monday, March 19, at 8:00 p.m. ET; that doesn’t leave a lot of time for someone to practice, learn the steps, and become comfortable with his dance partner. We saw what happened when Master P tried to come in as a substitute for his son – though that had a lot to do with attitude, not just arriving late (as discussed in his Reality TV Hall of Shame induction).

After covering Dancing with the Stars for three seasons, I feel qualified to suggest some replacements for Vincent:

  • Jason Alexander (the actor, not the ex-husband of Britney Spears)
  • Samuel L. Jackson
  • Kieran Culkin
  • George Stephanopoulos
  • F. Murray Abraham
  • Bea Arthur (who says Edyta has to dance with a man?)

People magazine is also reporting that contestant Heather Mills is not dating Jonathan Roberts, her professional partner on the show. As Heather puts it, she wants to stop the rumors because Jonathan is a married man. (He’s married to fellow professional dancer and Dancing with the Stars hoofer Anna Trebunskaya.) That’s good to know.

Like Vincent, Heather also commented on the physical side of the competition, explaining that she can only push her prosthetic leg so far. In addition, Heather joked about her leg, saying that while it would be funny if it flew off during a performance, chances are it won’t; she’ll be keeping it in place with a strap. I honestly don’t know what I would do if that happened; I guess I would laugh about it and then feel extremely bad for her.

No matter what happens with Vincent’s possible replacement and Heather’s leg, RealityNewsOnline will keep you informed and up to date.

Jill is an east coast mama who loves sharks, zombie movies, and reality television. She welcomes your comments about these and other subjects, and can be reached at jilljones@verizon.net.

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