'Dancing With the Stars': Talking With Carrie Ann Inaba

As the field of "Dancing With the Stars" finalists grows smaller, we caught up with ever-personable show judge Carrie Ann Inaba to talk "DWTS" injuries (from cramped limbs to bruised egos), censors, possible perceptions -- and the idiosyncrasies of her fellow judges.

CHANNEL THIS: Will Cristian be able to dance next week, with his arm injury?
CARRIE ANN: I don't know ... I have mixed feelings about Cristian. You have to take care of your body. It's for life. The competition is only 10 weeks. ... I just truly hope he doesn't hurt himself [more severely].

CT: And what about performing the lifts this next week?
CA: I'm sure Edyta will be flying across the floor" (referring to Jason and his big man-arms).

CT: What about what Bruno said after Mario did the hottie-hot dance with Karina that resulted in the network censors bleeping him out last week? (He said it looked as if Mario was going to "eat her alive.")
CA: He's worried that people would think he [said] something worse than that.

(NOTE: Speaking of that dance, Carrie Ann's own comment about it being better than "good sex" got her an e-mail from a parent chastising her for feeling the need to draw the comparison between dancing and sex because children watch the show. Carrie Ann -- who says she responds regularly to her fan e-mail -- wrote back to the woman to say: "You know what? You're right. It was in the moment. It was just so sexy. Perhaps we should have censored not just my words, but the dance as well.")

CT: What about Kristi's skills, and the impact it has on the other contestants?
CA: The rate of improvement for the rest of the cast is so much greater than it's ever been, and that's because Kristi has started out so strong.

CT: What about the does-she/doesn't-she debate over whether Kristi's ice skating training is an unfair advantage?
CA: People could decide they're tired of her (and not vote for her). Mario Lopez is the perfect example. He was so good, and he didn't win.

CT: What about the infamous comment by ousted contestant Adam Carolla?
CA (laughing): I understand where the feelings are coming from. I get that Adam Carolla would call me his friend "Mitch," as he likes to say. I thought it was funny. But we are a family show and children watch our show, so we have a responsibility.

CT: What about your role as a judge and your insistence on following rules?
CA: I don't know that is, but I don't like (Len's and Bruno's refusal to call out couples for breaking rules regarding lifts). There's a sheet of paper on our desk every night that says no lifts and what a lift is. I follow the rules.

(Lastly, Carrie Ann dishes on her fellow judges, whom she says she adores: Bruno loves to sunbathe and takes his shirt off at every opportunity; Len never does go shirtless, being the turned-out, dapper guy he is, and but incredibly picky about his outfits, especially the ties. Oh, and he likes to speak in limericks.)

-- JENNIFER FREY

Jennifer Frey  |  May 1, 2008; 8:44 AM ET Dancing With the Stars
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Posted by: justsayin | May 1, 2008 10:33 AM

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