SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the Tuesday, Nov. 25 finale of "Dancing With the Stars."
"Dancing With the Stars'" biggest season yet came to an end on Tuesday night as Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Dylan Efron, Elaine Hendrix and Jordan Chiles battled for the Len Goodman mirrorball trophy. Plus, the hosts announced the episode received 72 million votes during the finale — double last year's tally.
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Each team did three dances — judges' pick, the insta dance and a freestyle. For their insta dance, the teams found out five minutes before their number which dance they'd be doing and to what song (which means they could have been practicing four different dances on top of their other two for the week).
Alix and Val kicked off the show with a samba assigned by Carrie Ann Inaba, and it earned a perfect score of 30. Despite the next dance being their insta dance, no one would know they hadn't prepared their high-energy cha-cha, which earned a perfect score. Of course, the most anticipated dance was the freestyle — something Val is always extremely good at. She was excited to show her confidence with the routine and did just that, earning a 30. Ultimately, she was the only one to earn a perfect score of 90/90 for the night.
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Dylan and Daniella took on the past double at Bruno Tonioli's request. While it wasn't perfect, it still received a 10 from Bruno, then two 9s for a score of 27. For their insta dance, they chose a foxtrot. The ballroom absolutely exploded for the routine, as did the judges, who called it one of the best dances of the season and gave it a perfect 30. Their freestyle was one of the best of the night as well, as it featured a contemporary routine with the pair in water. Unsurprisingly, it earned a 30, bringing their night total to an 87/90.
Derek Hough gave Elaine and Alan the rumba, and Bruno called the routine "pitch perfect." So it was no surprise when it received a perfect 30. For their insta dance, they picked a quickstep. Although they had one misstep, they still received a score of 27/30. For the freestyle, the pair did a routine to "Chorus Line" with cameos by Andy Richter and Lisa Ann Walter. It earned a 30, bringing their score to an 87/90.
Derek then assigned the quickstep to Robert and Witney. Despite suffering a rib injury during rehearsals, Derek and Bruno were wowed by his routine, with Derek calling him the "quickstep king." They earned a score of 29/30. For their insta dance, they chose a cha cha — the one he said he didn't want. Still, they managed to get a perfect 30. The freestyle was both emotional and full of energy, also getting a perfect score. Their final score was 89/90.
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Jordan and Ezra were given the paso doble from Carrie Ann, going last in the first round. However, Carrie Ann pointed out the very small mistakes they made resulted in a score of 29/30. For their insta dance, the pair were happy to choose the tango. And it paid off, with the duo getting a perfect 30. The pair did the last freestyle of the night, and it seemed they saved the best for last. Carrie Ann said that it was the best freestyle she's seen in 20 years, and it earned a perfect 30. Their overall score was 89/90.
Before announcing the winner, the show announced that the live tour will include Danielle Fishel, Andy Richter and Elaine Hendrix. Additionally, the finalists will make surprise appearances.
In the end, Robert Irwin took home the mirrorball trophy.
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