'Dancing With The Stars' Recap: 'Glee’s Amber Riley Outshines The Rest

Dancing with the Stars returned on Monday with its 17th season – with a new format and a new cast of celebrities battling it out on the dance floor alongside their professional partners.

After the new cast performed an ensemble dance number, host Tom Bergeron introduced the first pairing of the night – Brant Daugherty and Peta Murgatroyd. Daugherty, best known for playing Noel Kahn on Pretty Little Liars, took on a Cha Cha to Robin Thicke’s "Blurred Lines," which managed to stay tasteful enough through all the pelvic thrusts. They received a combined score of 22.

Next up was King of Queens actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani. Despite some jitters, Remini managed a respectable foxtrot and earned 21 points. Remini was followed by High School Musical star Corbin Bleu, partnered with Karina Smirnoff. It was the first contemporary routine for both the novice and the pro, but they pulled it off commendably and were scored a 24.

Jack Osbourne, who opted to do the show after watching his sister Kelly Osbourne and wanting to be an inspiration for fellow multiple sclerosis sufferers, was partnered with Cheryl Burke. His smooth foxtrot moved his parents Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne to tears and the judges to score him 23 points.

With a handful of her Glee cast mates in the audience, Amber Riley attacked her cha-cha with Derek Hough. Bedecked in a sequined dress, Riley proved to be a bona fide triple threat with her skills on the dance floor. Riley and Hough’s chemistry wowed the judges and got the night’s highest score of 27.

Best known for playing Jessie Spano on Saved By the Bell, Elizabeth Berkley was partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy for a contemporary routine. Dancing to a reworked version of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Berkley gracefully danced herself to a score of 24.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, with Sasha Farber as her partner, proved she has more than club moves up her sleeve with a cha-cha that earned her 23 points. Singer and TV personality Christina Milian was scored 22 points for her contemporary routine with Mark Ballas and the resilient Valerie Harper received 21 points for her ballroom dance with Tristan MacManus.

On the lower end of the spectrum were the scientist, the football player and the stand-up comedian. Bill Nye the "Science Guy" got the night’s lowest score of 14 for his cha-cha with Tyne Stecklein. Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson couldn’t match his moves on the dance floor to those of the football field, getting just 17 points for his cha-cha with Sharna Burgess. Blue Collar Comedy group member Bill Engvall rounded out the bottom three with his 18-point Foxtrot with Emma Slater

Dancing with the Stars will return to ABC next Monday at 8/7c.

– Chelsea Regan

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