Dancing Drew!
Source: teenpeople.com
By: Evan Narcisse
1/26/06

Maybe it's the star turn he took in the Broadway musical Rent, or the fact that he’s married to a choreographer, Lea. Whatever it was that gave him the motivation to move it, former 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey, 29, has unexpectedly become the guy to beat on the second season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. "I always thought I had a good sense of rhythm, and I could pick stuff up," he recently told TEEN PEOPLE at a mid-week rehearsal (he spends 25 hours a week preparing for the show). "But any dancing I did in the past, was minimal and basic. I'd never ballroom danced."

Still, three rounds into the Thursday-night competition, Drew, with the help of his partner professional dancer Cheryl Burke, has outlasted other celebrity competitors like ESPN host Kenny Mayne and actress Tatum O'Neal. "You're only one bad dance away from going home," says Nick's younger brother, careful not to get overconfident. "Some people that worked very hard get kicked off," he adds. "Gisele (Fernandez) got kicked off, and she was in tears. And not because she didn’t win -- it was because she was enjoying it so much."

The Ohio native credits his survival on the show to his fans, including folks back in his hometown. "Some people get together at a bar in Cincinnati and watch it, then get out their cell phones and vote afterwards," he says, grateful for the support. "People come up to me walking down the street, saying 'Hey Drew, great job. Keep it up -- we're voting for you!' I mean, just random people who say nothing about 98 Degrees or Rent." Drew, who says he'll never again watch a reality competition show without voting -- as he says, "You can't complain if you don't vote!" - has majorly high hopes for his chances on the highly-rated show. "Hopefully I’ll be around for the finals, and I can give everybody a good show."