VIDEO: DWTS Premiere: Tom DeLay -- Wild Thing?
Sep. 22 2009, Published 10:15 a.m. ET
Dancing With The Stars’ live, three-night premiere kicked off Monday, and former House of Representatives majority leader Tom Delay stole the show, cutting up the ballroom to The Troggs' Wild Thing with partner Cheryl Burke.
Read about Tom Delay's DWTS Injury
Introduced as "arguably the highest ranking star we've ever had," DeLay, clad in a retro brown-getup unseen since the the days of Three's Company, hammed it up for the estimated audience of 17 million viewers.
The judges were not necessarily impressed, but definitely entertained: Bruno Tonioli told DeLay he was "crazier than Sarah Palin, while Len Goodman said, "Some parts were magic, some parts were tragic."
Burke, a two-time DWTS champion, said that while Delay might not be in pristine physical condition, his charm and determination make the conservative Republican a partner she can win with.
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The three-episode DWTS premiere continues Tuesday and Wednesday at 8/7c on ABC.