After Confidential speculated yesterday that Todd McKenney could be being shown the door at Dancing With The Stars HQ, it turns out it's not the acid-tongued tall poppy who is on the way out, but instead fellow judge Paul "New Steps" Mercurio who will be let go from the panel. Now who will we turn to on network television to remind us how much we all enjoy reciting lines from Strictly Ballroom? To quote that very film, that was unexpected!

Mercurio was told yesterday he was no longer required on the judging panel of Channel 7's hit show Dancing with the Stars.

 

[...]

Mercurio told Confidential he was "disappointed" to find he had been dropped from the judging panel, less than two weeks before the eighth season hits screens.

"It is frustrating because obviously, just two weeks out, I had to fit this into my schedule," Mercurio said.

"I would like to think that I'm going to be missed, but who knows?

We'll miss you, Paul! In fact, if the hole in your schedule is too much to bear, you can always come around and stand in Defamer Australia's living room and act out scenes from Ballroom ("Great, you can't even do a basic") while we clap and cheer and shout "A LIFE LIVED IN FEAR IS A LIFE HALF-LIVED!" We can pay you, let's see... $5.75 and a bottle of Passion Pop? Think about it.

Tags: au | boned | dancing with the stars | paul mercurio | todd mckenney