Marini: 'I went shirtless for 'SATC' boss'

Dancing With The Stars contestant Gilles Marini has joked that he stripped off his top during this week's show to please his Sex And The City: The Movie director.

The actor, who played Samantha Jones's (Kim Cattrall) neighbour in the hit film, told E! News that he had agreed to remove his shirt after learning that Michael Patrick King would be attending the taping.

"He said, 'I want to come next Monday to support you', so I said to [professional dancer] Cheryl [Burke], 'I'm taking my shirt off. I want to show Michael I'm still in shape'. I know he's writing beautiful things lately and maybe he could put me in one of his projects," he explained.

"He's a very good friend of mine. He's a brilliant man, and I just wanted to say, 'thanks, Michael, for what you've done for me last year and this year.'"

Marini remained at the top of the ABC show's leaderboard this week, after scoring 29 out of a possible 30 points for his Paso Doble.

> 'Dancing' Week 5: What the judges said