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DANCING WITH THE STARS
Air Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Time Slot: 9:00 PM-11:00 PM EST on ABC
Episode Title: (#1410A-120) "Episode 1410A"
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

SEASON FINALE

THREE COUPLES REMAIN -- BUT ONLY ONE WILL TAKE HOME THE MIRROR BALL TROPHY -- ON THE FINAL TWO NIGHTS OF ABC'S "DANCING WITH THE STARS"

Grammy(R) Award-Winning Superstar Kelly Clarkson Performs

Grammy(R) Award-Winning Artist Gladys Knight Also Hits the Stage During Tuesday Night's Season Finale

"Episode 1410 & 1410A" -- After 10 weeks of highly entertaining performances and phenomenal dancing, Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd, Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas and William Levy & Cheryl Burke have proven they deserve to be in the finals. But only one couple will be crowned champions of "Dancing with the Stars." The three finalists will have their last opportunity to impress the judges and viewers on two final nights of competition, MONDAY, MAY 21 (8:00-9:01 p.m., ET), and concluding on the Season Finale, TUESDAY, MAY 22 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

In the final one-hour performance show on MONDAY, MAY 21 (8:00-9:01 p.m., ET), each of the couples will compete in two dances. All three couples will have the chance to show their improvement over the course of the season, performing a dance chosen by the judges that they have previously performed, but will be able to incorporate new music and new choreography. Each couple will also perform the unpredictable and always entertaining no rules Freestyle dance to music they have chosen themselves.

In the two-hour Season Finale on TUESDAY, MAY 22 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET), the excitement will continue with a stunning opening number with the entire cast and the Troupe. Tuesday night, all of this season's eliminated couples will return to the ballroom to perform some of the most memorable routines, as well as a few new surprises, including a special musical performance from Grammy(R) Award-winning Gladys Knight, who will accompany a dance performance. Grammy(R) Award-winning superstar Kelly Clarkson will also light up the ballroom singing a medley of her hit songs "Dark Side" and "Stronger," accompanied by Kym Johnson, Tony Dovolani, Anna Trebunskaya, Tristan MacManus and the Troupe. And in the final element of the competition on Tuesday, the three finalists perform a new routine in our "24 Hour Challenge" � in which they will have had 24 hours to pair their dance style of choice to music given to them after Monday night's show. This routine will be scored out of 30 and will round out the judges' scores across both nights.

Since bursting onto the music scene 10 years ago, Kelly Clarkson has released 5 studio albums, sold over 20 million albums worldwide, 10 million albums in the US and has had 10 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. She is the recipient of 2 Grammy (R) Awards, 4 American Music Awards, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, 2 Academy of Country Music Awards, 1 Country Music Association Award and 12 Billboard Music Awards. Clarkson's most recent effort, "Stronger," debuted at No. 2 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Digital Albums Chart. The album is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. and produced the smash singles, "Mr. Know It All" and "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," which marks Clarkson's 9th and 10th Top 10 hit. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" was No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for two consecutive weeks (3 weeks total), her 3rd No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 Chart. She is set to tour this summer with The Fray as well as will star in ABC's new reality competition, "Duets," which premieres May 24.

Eight-time Grammy(R) winner Gladys Knight has enjoyed No. 1 hits in pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance. The Georgia-born Knight began performing recitals at age 4 in the Mount Mariah Baptist Church. Three years later, in 1952, she won the grand prize on television's "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour," and the following year she, along with her brother, Bubba, and her cousins, formed The Pips and had their first hit in 1961. In 1962 the group was renamed Gladys Knight & The Pips and went on to achieve icon status, recording some of the most memorable songs of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Knight has recorded more than 38 albums over the years, including four solo albums during the past decade. She recently released her newest album, featuring the hit "I Who Have Nothing." A longtime Las Vegas resident, Knight returned to the Strip this past year at the famed Tropicana Hotel for a special engagement that ran in the newly named Gladys Knight Theater, making her the first African-American performer to have a venue named after her in Las Vegas.

Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Brooke Burke-Charvet ("Dancing with the Stars" Season Seven Champion), the celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 60 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. AT&T customers may also vote by texting the word "VOTE" and entering the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply).

About BBC Worldwide Productions

BBC Worldwide Productions, led by Jane Tranter, is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The production company is responsible for the smash hit "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC), "Top Gear" (HISTORY), "What Not to Wear" (TLC), "Torchwood: Miracle Day" (Starz), "Hairy Bikers" (HISTORY) and the upcoming titles "The Week the Women Went" (Lifetime), "The Next Big Thing" (Oxygen), "Lovetown, USA" (OWN) and "Da Vinci's Demons" (Starz). BBC Worldwide Productions sits within one of six core businesses that form BBC Worldwide, the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.

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