"Let's Dance": These stars made it to the semifinals

The grand finale of this year's "Let's Dance" season is just two weeks away, but on Friday evening, the remaining celebrity dancers first had to prove themselves in the quarterfinals of the RTL show. Former gymnast Fabian Hambüchen (37), professional golfer Diego Pooth (21), para-swimmer Taliso Engel (22), and podcaster selfiesandra (25) prevailed in front of the typically strict jury of Joachim Llambi (60), Motsi Mabuse (44), and Jorge González (57). For stuntwoman Marie Mouroum (32), however, the journey is over.

In the first dance of the evening, Taliso Engel and his show partner Patricija Ionel (30) performed a Charleston to "Pencil Full of Lead" by Paolo Nutini. Llambi, however, wasn't particularly pleased with the performance, expressing a bit of disappointment: "It's the quarterfinals!" He felt it was "not enough of a Charleston." Mabuse and González weren't 100 percent convinced either. In the end, they still received 22 points from the expert jury for their quarterfinal debut.

Marie Mouroum then had the chance to show off her newly acquired dance skills. Alongside Alexandru Ionel (30), she treated the fans to a passionate rumba to "Too Lost in You" by the Sugababes. Llambi described it as a "good rumba," but "only some nuances" weren't quite right. A bit too reserved and too little eroticism still earned the co-favorite a respectable 25 points.

Diego Pooth has been practicing a stylish slow foxtrot to "High Hopes" by Panic! at the Disco with Ekaterina Leonova (38) over the past few days – and he certainly had his problems with it this week. However, these hurdles were barely evident during the performance. Llambi, however, found the performance less convincing, particularly criticizing Pooth's posture. Mabuse, however, saw Pooth as significantly better: "That was the best dance so far. You've got your nerves under control." He ultimately received 25 points.

Fabian Hambüchen impressed in the individual dances

Fabian Hambüchen performed his first dance alongside Anastasia Maruster (27) with a sophisticated Viennese waltz to the iconic song "The World We Knew" by Frank Sinatra – much to the delight of the jury and audience. The two were convincing across the board, except for a minor wobble at the end. "That was beautiful," González said, nailing it. Points poured in, with Hambüchen's final score of 27.

Selfiesandra was the last candidate to enter the competition. She danced her slow waltz with her dance partner Zsolt Sándor Cseke (37) to "Kissing You" by Dess'ree. And the quarterfinal outsider didn't completely convince. "A lot of the little things just weren't there," Llambi explained bluntly. Despite some harsh criticism of her actual dance technique, she still received 22 points from the jury – primarily due to the emotions displayed.

Taliso Engel was the first to begin the trio dances. With Patricija Ionel and Renata Lusin, he performed a spirited salsa to the song "Vivir Mi Vida" by Marc Anthony. The erotic performance was rewarded by the audience with a standing ovation and thunderous applause. But the jury—as is often the case—was somewhat more neutral. González found it too "stiff," and for Llambi, it was simply "not enough": "You shake your butt, then you leave the rest to the girls." He received only 22 points for it.

Afterwards, the favorite for the overall victory made his second appearance of the evening: Fabian Hambüchen danced a captivating and provocative rumba with Anastasia and Sergiu Maruster (32) to "No Sè Por Qué Te Quireo" by Ana Belén & Antonio Banderas. The audience once again jumped to their feet. And rightly so: The jury felt the same way, awarding him a strong 27 points.

The next trio dance went to Marie Mouroum with Alexandru Ionel and Evgeny Vinokurov (34) – and she delivered. With her lively salsa to "Lost on You" by LP/Cubaneros, she fully lived up to the high expectations. González enthusiastically attested to a "hot salsa." Mabuse said Mouroum could be proud of herself. Llambi was also "thrilled" with the performance. Like her lead dancers, the stuntwoman received 27 points from the often very strict jury.

Selfiesandra entered the competition alongside Zsolt Sándro Cseke and Kathrin Menzinger (36) with an entertaining jive to "Title" by Meghan Trainor. Llambi and Mabuse were very pleased with the performance and the fast-paced choreography. However, Llambi, in particular, once again saw some technical deficiencies in the podcaster. Because Sandra put so much heart and emotion into her dance, she still received a very respectable 24 points from the jury.

Diego Pooth, along with Ekatarina Leonova and Massimo Sinató (44), was the last to enter the competition on Friday evening – also with a jive. "I never wanted that," Pooth said during training, less than satisfied with his choice of dance. However, his performance to "Dance with Me Tonight" by Olli Murs quickly dispelled his concerns. "That was good" and "Everything was fine," González and Llambi said succinctly. This meant the final 26 jury points in the quarterfinals.

Huge surprise: Marie Mouroum did not make it to the semifinals

But as all "Let's Dance" fans know, the final word, of course, is once again the audience. In the end, Marie Mouroum, who was voted second by the jury, was completely unsurprisingly not enough. Taliso Engel and selfiesandra, who received the lowest ratings, are in the semifinals, along with Diego Pooth and Fabian Hambüchen.

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