Heather Mills keeps impressing in 'Dancing'

By Stone Martindale Mar 28, 2007, 6:11 GMT

03/23/2007 - Heather Mills - © David Gabber / Photorazzi

"Dancing With the Stars" bet on ex model Heather Mills, who lost her leg in a motorcycle accident, to join the physically grueling competition. She has performed with her chin up and heels kicking.

"Dancing With the Stars" aired Monday night with all 11 couples dancing again. The women danced the mambo, and the men danced the quickstep.  Last night Mills gave a performance that had the crowd cheering again and the judges full of kind words.  The 39-year-old did a great turn as she reversed along the dance floor doing the Mambo.  Mills opened her performance with a back walkover, the only move of its kind in Monday's show.

Mills has cited in previous interviews that she wants to encourage other people with disabilities to experience the freedom of dancing.

Mills is winding down a bitter divorce battle with Paul McCartney, and told the Dancing with the Stars judges: 'A year ago there's no way I would ever have believed I'd be dancing now, so I am enjoying every second of it...I really really hope I'm not going to be the first to go'.

The Dancing Judges awarded her and dance partner Jonathan Roberts 24 out of 30, taking them into fifth place.

The judges were raving that "her level of difficulty was higher than anyone," her dancing was "beyond expectation" and "red-hot Heather…knows how to cut loose."

Judge Bruno Toniloi said: 'Beyond any expectation! You were on warp drive. Red-hot Heather - I can't believe what you did.'

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said: 'I'm just so blown away by you...The level of difficulty in that routine was far higher than anyone else's routine and you would think you wouldn't throw that in, but you did and you nailed it.'

Tonight, they will announce which couple will be the first to be eliminated.