ABC
It’s finally the finale of the 32nd season of Dancing with the Stars.
There are only two dances between each of the remaining five couples and their chance at the mirror ball trophy. If anyone missed any of the previous appearances this season, this three-hour episode is for you. They spend the first 30 minutes going through all the previous dances while the judges examine each contestant’s strengths and weaknesses.
At around 8:30 p.m. ET, the show kicked off the final leg of the competition with a dazzling opening number from the professional dancers. Read on to find out who gets bragging rights as the Season 32 winner.
Actress Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother) with partner Sasha Farber. Hannigan is ready to redeem himself with another try at salsa. Carrie Ann Inaba thought Hannigan and Farber’s dance was a little “too cute” in the first week. She wants to see Hannigan step into her “feminine power” and spice it up a bit on the ballroom floor. “You did a great job. “There’s something so different about you,” Inaba said after the performance. “You have mercy. You have confidence.” Score: 25 out of 30.
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz with partner Daniella Karagach. Bruno Tonioli gave Mraz and Karagach a revenge foxtrot, explaining that the frame was “very tight” on the first attempt. The Grammy-winning singer admitted that he wasn’t sure whether to bring his personality to the ball competition during his week four performance. “I knew you could do it!” Tonioli told Mraz after the redemption round. “Fantastic.” Perfect result.
Ariana Madix (Vanderpump Rules) with partner Pasha Pashkov. Derek Hough paid Madix and Pashkov a visit to ask them to repeat their samba from week two. He wants them to slow it down a bit so the judges can see more control and “refinement,” especially in Madix’s arms. Madix was hoping to hit the ballroom floor and perform the perfect samba for the finale, and that’s exactly what she did, easily earning Hough’s seal of approval. “It’s mean to give you the samba in the finals, but Ariana, you’re the samba queen!” Hough exclaimed. Score: 29 out of 30.
Charity Lawson (The Bachelorette) with partner Artem Chigvintsev. Lawson got some tango tips from Inaba, who hoped the reality star would boost her confidence and channel her inner “Panther.” After a perfect score, Lawson must channel the Eye of the Tiger to redeem himself. She may have lost both earrings during this performance, but she remains locked up from the beginning of the music, which satisfies the judges. “The way you danced with the passion and connection between you and Artem was palpable,” Inaba said, calling the performance “absolutely what I wanted.” Score: 29 out of 30.
Actress Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Gomez tried the foxtrot again, which Tonioli hopes will involve more “sophistication” than the pair’s first attempt in week three. She honestly made it look way too easy and impressed all three judges with her improvement. “It’s really a joy to watch you,” Tonioli said after her release dance. Perfect result.
Second dance. All bets are void! Time for some freestyles.
Lawson and Chigvintsev. A bittersweet journey for the Bachelorette is coming to an end and she wants to go out with a bang. After he injures his jaw during rehearsals, the show must go on! Nothing will stop her tonight. Lawson returns to her cheerleading roots with this fast-paced routine that brought energy to the ballroom. “I feel like you’ve been waiting to do this all season!” Hough told her after the dance, while Tonioli called it “exciting and spectacular.” It won’t be difficult for anyone to follow up on this. Perfect result.
Mraz and Karagach. The Grammy winner is proud of himself for facing his fears and dancing on live television over the past 11 weeks. He and Karagach wanted to incorporate everything that makes him happy about dancing into this final performance, which translated into a fairly intense routine with difficult footwork. Wow! What a crowd pleaser. The couple seemed to be having a lot of fun and the entire ballroom stood up. “You’ve upped the feel-good factor!” Tonioli shouted, calling the performance “out of this world.” Perfect result.
Madix and Pashkov. “That’s it,” Madix told Pashkov during rehearsals for her final routine. After a tough year for the Vanderpump Rules star, at least she’s ending it on a positive note! Through her dance journey she has learned to trust again and never underestimate her own abilities. Dressed in a bold red leather outfit, Madix incorporated a significant amount of hip-hop into her performance to a mashup of girl power anthems. And the judges ate it up! “That was awesome, girl!” said Inaba. “You’ve shown us what a confident woman looks like every time you step on that dance floor.” Perfect result.
Hannigan and Farber. Hannigan and Farber were definitely the underdogs going into this finale and were ready to let loose. But that doesn’t mean she takes the easy way out. Hannigan described this freestyle as her most intense dance yet, and she wasn’t exaggerating. Don’t let the beginning of this dance fool you. While Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted” started off slow, the pair brought Jennifer Lopez to life in the second half of the track. “Not only are you the champion of the people, you also inspire caring,” Inaba said. Score: 28 out of 30.
Gomez and Chmerkovskiy. The Marvel star was ready for her mirror ball trophy! This freestyle was full of momentum. Gomez didn’t skimp on the technical moves like some of her competitors did. “Another outstanding performance!” Tonioli said, praising Gomez’s artistry. “You let us live the dance with you.” Perfect result.
Jason Mraz was able to put on another performance after the voting ended, where the professionals danced to one of his latest singles, “I Feel Like Dancing”. Along with Derek Hough, the crew went to great lengths to distract the audience while the votes were counted.
Finally it was time for the final results. Drumroll please…Gomez and Chmerkovskiy are the Season 32 Champions!
The results were like this:
1. Gomez and Chmerkovskiy
2. Mraz and Karagach
3. Madix and Pashkov
4. Lawson and Chigvintsev
5. Hannigan and Farber