Kaitlyn Bristowe Took Home the Mirrorball on 'Dancing With the Stars,' and Fans Are Beyond Excited

From Woman's Day

Monday night marked the end of a Dancing With the Stars season that seemed like it almost wasn't going to happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the four finalists — Kaitlyn Bristowe, Nelly, Nev Schulman, and Justina Machado — performed their final dances of the season, the judges brought out the coveted mirrorball trophy and crowned Bristowe and her partner Artem Chigvintsev the winners.

Bristowe has had a season of ups and downs. After getting off to a strong start with her opening week Cha Cha and Foxtrot routines and overcoming an ankle injury in week two, she hit a bit of a wall during her Villains Night Paso Doble. "It felt like at moments you gave up," judge Carrie Ann Inaba said during her critique of that performance, to which Bristowe replied,"I'll have to watch it back, because I don't remember that." Bristowe even told Entertainment Tonight that she felt Inaba had "different expectations" for her. But Bristowe performed consistently well in routines after that, which earned her a place in the finale.

During Monday night's finale episode, Bristowe and Chigvintsev re-performed their Argentine tango from earlier in the season — a snappy number set to a moody cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic." The duo originally preformed the dance during week nine, and it earned them their first perfect score of the season. Their second performance of the routine did not disappoint and judges gave them a perfect 30 again.

For the freestyle portion of the night, Bristowe and Chigvintsev performed a high-energy routine to "Sparkling Diamonds." The pair got rave reviews from the judges, with Inaba saying, "Kaitlyn, you were incredible." "To think you went from a Zoom call on the couch to descending on a swing on the Dancing With the Stars finale," judge Derek Hough said, referring to when Bachelor host Chris Harrison told Bristowe she'd be on this season of the show. The freestyle earned the pair another perfect 30, giving them a total of 60/60 for the evening.

As host Tyra Banks whittled down the top performers to crown this season's winner, the final two couples were Bristowe and Chigvintsev, and Schulman and partner Jenna Johnson. Both couples held each other tight as they waited for Banks to announce the winner, and when she said Bristowe's name, the former Bachelorette and first-time winner Chigvintsev ran to pick up the mirrorball trophy, which they hoisted into the air. Johnson and Schulman applauded for the winning pair as they celebrated their victory. "I'm so proud of you," Banks said. "I wish I could give you the biggest kiss and hug."

Fans were so excited for Bristowe's win. One called Bristowe the "Mirrorball Queen," while another said, "Congrats Champ." Another fan commented, "From not being allowed to perform, to winning the whole thing! What a glow up!"

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