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Mark Holden in bizarre Dancing ‘meltdown’

Was Mark Holden trying to sabotage himself from Dancing with the Stars or was it just a clever ploy to boost his 'brand?'

mholdenBottom line: if you book Mark Holden, you get Mark Holden.

The singer-turned-Reality-judge-turned-Reality-contestant had everybody talking last night after a bizarre, sometimes disrespectful, performance on Dancing with the Stars.

Social media was asking if he was under the influence after a rant that bordered on sabotage, seemingly to avoid another week of dance rehearsals.

Or was it all just an act for his ‘brand’ in the best tradition of Sam Newman?

He growled at affable host Dan Macpherson, “Do you like balloons, Danny?”

To judge Kym Johnson he said, “Kimmy. Let’s be honest. I promised the full Vlad and you didn’t get the full Putin, and you’re just pissed off at me.”

To judge Adam Garcia he bent over and emitted a prank fart from his clown costume.

But to the suggestion that contestants would be switching partners he quipped: “The swingers week, seriously, that’s very sophisticated of you Channel Seven. I love the idea of a swinger’s week, I’m just wondering is (dancer) Carmello a possibility?”

Macpherson did his best to try and cut Holden short: “This is still a family show!”

There was even a reference to Essendon coach James Hird’s wife Tanya ‘lawyering up.’

For his efforts the judges gave him a grand total of 4 points -equalling the all-time low by David Graham in 2007.

But to everybody’s surprise, Holden lived to see another day -a result which barely attracted any applause by the audience- while April Rose Pengilly was eliminated.

Holden even managed to upstage the show’s other drama, with Kyly Clarke quitting the show due to a serious injury to her hamstring tendon on her right leg.

“I’m devastated, upset and disappointed.  I didn’t think I’d be leaving the show this way,” she said.

“I put my heart and soul into learning these routines

“I can’t believe I have to leave the competition under these circumstances.”

In 2012 singer Shannon Noll injured his spine and quit the show.

Clarke now faces 2 months of Rehabilitation but thanked cast, crew and her charity the McGrath Foundation.

24 Responses

  1. @Michael Young only if he wears the clown outfit while singing it 😉

    @the Moops i am with you there, also not sure what to make of it but am leaning towards c) ‘water cooler buzz’ as some of these shows producers/sponsors etc get more & more desperate for ratings. I still vaguely remember the cross promotional stories from Today Tonight about something controversial that a contestant on this or one of 7’s other shows had done, all free publicity for the show.

  2. Spot on Angela, was about to say the same thing myself! 🙂
    Ah-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    “AHS Evil Clown possesses DWTS celebrity Live On Air!”
    Ah-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. I want to see Mark perform his 70’s hit “I Wanna Make You My Lady” … that will be really hilarious! Doubt he can even sing now … maybe about as well as he can dance???? 🙁

  4. I missed it live but have watched it you tube…..I found it hilarious. Very funny…..but also what a dill!

    The fart gag was a classic!!!

    It will go down as a classic moment on Aussie TV.
    And we need more of those.

  5. It is being reported on news.com that Holden has now offered to resign from the show on condition that they reinstate April-Rose. How about it producers? You know it is the right thing to do.

  6. Refer to my comments last week, re Mark being a loose cannon and needed to be reigned in. That’s putting it mildly. I feel sorry for the poor girl who is his dance partner, what did she do to deserve him. Is he getting away with it because of his age? A young man, would never get away with acting that way. Sack him, this kind of disrespectful boganism should not be encouraged.

  7. If he had have been on Australia’s Got Talent would have expected this type of antic as this is what you expect from that type of stupid show, but not on a more professional production, this show is about dancing, not comedy, lets stick to the dancing and enjoy that, not stupid people trying to get attention. Wonder if he has some underlying problems?

  8. I happened to catch a bit of his appearance on The Morning Show last week, which was co-hosted by one of the judges, and Mark Holden seems to have some issues. I was surprised that didn’t garner any further media attention, but maybe people think if we ignore him he will fade into obscurity again, as has happened twice before.

  9. I thought the routine was funny but then he opened his mouth afterwards. He didnt let the judges speak and then made disrespectful comments. Im really not sure who is voting to keep him in.

    But yes the look on Jess’s face when they were called out as safe, you just know she was thinking not another week. Which is a shame for her because she is meant to be enjoying herself.

    I mean look at someone like Lynne she is having the time of her life, is throwing herself into it and the scores are showing.

    In the past we have had people that couldnt dance. Derryn, Molly and last year Jonsey but at least they still took it seriously and had fun.

  10. This was an awkward a TV spectacle as I have seen in a long, long time.
    Was just uncomfortable.
    It’s fairly clear that the hosts, his fellow cast members and the studio audience have absolutely no time for him.

  11. Hmmm, difficult to know what to make of this, it was truly train wreck television and probably the lowest I’ve ever seen DWTS sink. Mark appears to be a very complex individual and he has been nothing short of weird and disturbing for the three weeks he has been on. There could be any number of reasons for such truly bizarre performances, a) under the influence of alcohol, medication or both combined. b) early stage, undetected organic brain problem ie early signs of dementia (he’s in his early 60s?), a brain tumour, etc c) Producers are encouraging him to play up his eccentric, weirdo persona so as to create water cooler buzz, twitter trending, etc, as all publicity is good publicity and if he is kept on the show people will tune in, as train wrecks are strangely fascinating to watch d) He’s just a really, really weird, “out there” sort of person.

  12. He was just bearable for the first two weeks but last night he went way over the top. The look on Jess’s (his dance partner) face when Dan said they were safe said it all really. He should’ve done the honourable thing and quit last night.

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