Comedian Ebenhaezer Dibakwane is the first celeb to leave Dancing With The Stars SA!

Ebenhaezer Dibakwane and Nombulelo Hlathi are the first dancing couple to leave Dancing With The Stars SA.

Eden Classens and Ash-leigh Hunter survive the first Dance-Off.

After a spectacular night of dancing in the third episode of Dancing With The Stars SA tonight (Sunday 18 February), comedian Ebenhaezer Dibakwane and his partner, Nombulelo Hlathi, faced Eden Classens and his partner, Ash-leigh Hunter in the first Dance-Off of the season. In the end Ebenhaezer and Nombulelo became the first celebrity to leave the show after the first viewers’ vote.

The tension in the room was palpable as hosts Chris Jaftha and Tracey Lange read out one-by-one the names of the couples who were safe to dance again next week, leaving only Eden and Ebenhaezer to repeat their performances from earlier in the evening – dancing, as judge Tebogo Kgobokoe put it, for their lives! Eden Classens and Ash-leigh Hunter were up first with their Cha-Cha, followed directly by Ebenhaezer Dibakwane and Nombulelo Hlathi repeating their dramatic Tango.

Then it was up to judges Bryan Watson, Debbie Turner, Tebogo Kgobokoe, and Jason Gilikson to decide which of these two couples they wanted to see compete again next week. Bryan saved Eden and Ashley, Debbie agreed, Tebogo chose Ebenhaezer and Nombulelo because they brought their “all”, she said. But it was when Jason made the call to save Eden and Ash-leigh, that Ebenhaezer become the first celebrity to leave the show. “It’s been an incredible journey,” Ebenhaezer said graciously, adding that he didn’t feel that he lost anything.

The vote count and ranking of contestants is done according to the international format rules and was independently computed by Deloitte and Touche, and confirmed against the vote results determined by M-Net. 

Next week Sunday (25 February) the following pairs will take to the dancefloor:

-        Radio host and former Miss SA Liesl Laurie and her partner, Ryan Hammond

-        Retired Bafana Bafana winger Delron Buckley and his partner, Angelique Allison

-        Screen and stage personality Frank Opperman and his partner, Jeanné Swarts

-        Athletics coach Odessa Swarts and her partner, Dylon Daniels

-        Singer and songwriter Connell Cruise and his partner, Marcello Solimeo

-        Television actress Zola Nombona and her partner, Tebogo Mashilo

-        Presenter and actress Thembisa Mdoda and her partner, Devon Snell

-        Actor and model Eden Classens and his partner, Ash-leigh Hunter

-        Former Blue Bulls rugby player Thando Manana and his partner, Michelle Oppenshaw

-        Protea Netball Goal Shooter Vanes-Mari Du Toit and her partner, Johannes Radebe

-        Silver screen actress Juanita de Villiers and her partner, Johan Dippenaar

Viewers have to register at mnet.tv/dwtssavote to participate in the live Dancing With The Stars SA voting. Voting registration opened again at 20:30 tonight and will close at 16:30 on Sunday, 25 February, ahead of the next live episode. Viewers only need to register once to be able to vote in every episode of the season.

Dancing with the Stars SA is produced for M-Net by Rapid Blue and is sponsored by Lottostar. Join the conversation on the Dancing with the Stars SA Facebook page, or on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #DWTSSA.

For more information about M-Net’s impressive new local slate, visit www.mnet.tv