Nicole Scherzinger scores big on Dancing with the Stars (VIDEO)

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger took top scores
on round 1 of Dancing with the Stars. (Pics/ABC)

Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger scored the highest points on the first day of Dancing with the Stars season 10, earning 25 out of 30 points from the judges.

NICOLE IS THE FRONTRUNNER

Scherzinger, 31, and partner Derek Hough, 24, impressed the audience with their sophisticated Viennese waltz March 22, prompting judge Carrie Ann Inaba to gush, “The bar has been set."

Meanwhile, Olympic figure skater Evan Lysacek and partner Anna Trebunskaya came in a close second, with 23 points.

ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy placed third, with 21 points, tying with Playboy cover girl Pamela Anderson and partner Damian Whitewood.

Reality tv star Kate Gosselin and partner Tony Dovolani scored 16 points for their waltz, which drew criticism from DWTS judges.

JUDGES BASH KATE

Judge Bruno Tonioli berated Gosselin, 34, for having bad technique, while Len noted Kate "looked nervous."

After her performance, Gosselin confessed that nerves had gotten to her.

“I don’t feel like I nailed it," she says. "I felt like I’ve done it better many times but what I had in this moment, [my partner Tony] carried me through it.

Kate, who has been criticized for being obsessed with fame and not staying home more with her 8 kids, admitted being away from her children has been hard.

“The hardest part is leaving them," she says. "I do travel for work often and we’ve taken the precaution of dancing in my basement — if they need something, I’m a flight of stairs away so I’m doing my best. I know I made my kids proud and that’s all that really matters.”

Check out videos of Kate, Nicole and Pamela's DWTS performances below:

Read more on DTWS alum and other Reality stars:

• 'Kate Gosselin is a role-model mom,' gushes DWTS partner
• Kate Gosselin: 'I'm going to win Dancing with the Stars'
• Kate Gosselin shows off sexy new hair extensions
  
• 'Erin Andrews is so hot,' gushes her Dancing with the Stars partner
  
• Kelly Osbourne: How I lost 42 pounds and overcame my self-hatred
• Joanna Krupa's 'irreligious' nude PETA ad draws fire from Catholics
• Octomom Nadya Suleman on The View: Manic laugh in a miniskirt (video)
• DWTS dancer Karina Smirnoff's sizzling nude PETA ad
  
• Real Housewife Alexis Bellino's smokin' bikini photos
  
• Kim Kardashian: I was so unhappy with my big butt
  
• Holly Madison: I owe everything to plastic surgery