The final five contestants for the Dancing With The Stars grand finale were revealed Sunday night after a brutal triple elimination.
Fan favorites Ben Cousins, Adam Dovile and Shane Crawford were cut from the team.
This means that Lisa McCune, Ant Middleton, James Stewart, Nikki Osborne and Samantha Jade will compete against each other in the final on Monday.
Footballer Shane expressed gratitude for his defeat and thanked his professional dance partner Ash-Leigh Hunter warmly.
“It was an amazing experience. Ash is an incredible coach,” Shane said after being eliminated.
He also paid tribute to his fellow players, saying: “It’s going to be a great final,” and suggested Ant might even win.
Adam was also happy for his fellow dancers and grateful for his competition partner Jess Raffa.
“I feel good and I enjoyed it immensely,” Shane said, adding that he “thanks so much to Jess.”
The final five to go to the Dancing With The Stars grand final were revealed Sunday night after a brutal triple elimination. Nikki Osborne (right) is safe and on her way to the final
Ben admitted that he found the process tiring, but that he wouldn’t change anything about it.
“This week at training, I ended the day whispering. I was so tired, I just whispered. I loved it,” said the former footballer.
Like the others, Ben had nothing but praise for his dance partner Siobhan Power.
The athlete also compared the show to his time on the field during his football career.
Adam Dovile (right) was sent home
Fan favorite Ben Cousins (pictured) was sent packing
Shane Crawford (left) was also eliminated
“You get this one chance when you go out and perform. But it’s been a good challenge,” Ben explained.
The five finalists shone in their semi-finals. Samantha and Lisa both scored a near perfect score of 39 out of 40.
Judge Sharna Burgess was overwhelmed and said: ‘Phenomenal, you two set the bar high.’
Lisa danced the Viennese Waltz at lightning speed, matching Samantha’s score. Judge Helen Richey said Lisa made the dance look easy!
Meanwhile, James secured a spot in the grand final after a dance competition with Adam and Shane.
Nikki performed a great Quickstep, with all four judges praising her significant progress throughout the season, ultimately awarding her 34 points for her performance.
Lisa McCune (left) has advanced to the finals
Samantha Jade (left) will compete in Monday’s final
Ant Middleton (pictured) gave it his all and lived to fight another day
Ant showed his intimate side and scored 37 points for his vulnerable, contemporary performance.
James scored a whopping 35 points and brought the dead back to life with his stirring Paso Doble.
Shane meanwhile put in a convincing performance with his Victorian era Quickstep, with a total score of 30.
Adam wowed with a sensual Rumba, which had his dance partner Jess Raffa exclaiming: ‘I’ve never danced like that on the show. I just let myself go. I could close my eyes and he’s such a good leader.’
Ben gave it his all with an intense Argentine tango, but with a score of 17 he was eliminated from the competition, leaving Adam, Shane and James to compete in the dance challenge.
Ultimately, it was James who secured the coveted final spot after impressing with his Charleston.
On Monday, Lisa McCune, Ant Middleton, James Stewart, Nikki Osborne and Samantha Jade will compete for the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy.
Dancing with the stars ctomorrow at 7.30pm on Channel 7 and 7plus