Chuck Wicks a Survivor on "Dancing"

Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks on the CMA Awards Red Carpet at "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network. Photo courtesy of the Country Music Association.

March 9, 2009 — The eighth season of "Dancing With The Stars" gets underway Monday with a different look than it had just several weeks ago. Two of the original contestants — Jewel and "Access Hollywood" co-host Nancy O’Dell — had leg injuries and had to bow out.

That leaves Chuck Wicks, who’s partnered with girlfriend Julianne Hough in the competition, looking as much like a "Survivor" contestant as a "DWTS" participant.

"I don't know if dancing is considered a sport, but it should be," he told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm finding muscles I never knew I had."

In a relatively short time in the limelight, Chuck’s built a reputation for a dry sense of humor — one that he shows off on a regular basis. But beneath the joking exterior, he’s got a competitive spirit, and it’s definitely at work in "Dancing."

"I'm taking this thing very, very seriously," he said. "I would love to win."

That competitive nature is what appears to have sidelined Jewel. Her knees started bothering her incessantly during practice, and she finally saw a doctor who ordered her off the show. She originally thought she’d pulled some ligaments. Instead, it turns out she fractured the tibias in both legs about six inches below the knees, according to USA Today.

"Typical me," Jewel wrote in her blog. "I throw myself 1,000% into anything I do — that's how I went from being homeless to where I am today — but I just had no idea I could over-do dancing!"

Jewel is expected to use crutches for the next six to nine weeks while her bones heal. And she still hopes to appear in a future season of "Dancing With The Stars." In the meantime, she’s slated to appear on ABC’s season-opening episode.