Five couples took to the dance floor on November 26 for the “Dancing with the Stars” season 33 finale, but only one winner could take home the Mirrorball trophy.
Who came out on top as the winner after a season filled with fantastic dances and heartfelt stories?
After each couple performed a “Redemption Dance” and their freestyle, the difficult task of naming a winner came. Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson won DWTS season 33.
The Judges Praised the Redemption Dances
During the semifinals that aired on November 19, nobody was eliminated. That meant the judges’ scores and viewer votes would carry over into the finale. Heading into finale night, the leaderboard stood as follows:
- Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong: 58 points
- Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson: 58 points
- Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten: 57 points
- Danny Amendola and Witney Carson: 54 points
- Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold: 53 points
First up for each of the “Dancing with the Stars” finalists was their “Redemption Dance.” Faltering on this performance could have a major impact on being declared the winner.
The judges chose a dance for each pair that they performed earlier in the season. The dance was chosen because the judge felt they could improve upon it, and each pair definitely accomplished that goal.
Kinney and Armstrong’s jive received a score of 30 out of 30 points.
Graziadei and Johnson’s cha cha earned 30 out of 30 points.
Nedoroscik and Arnold’s quickstep received 29 out of 30 points.
Amendola and Carson’s tango received 27 out of 30 points.
Maher and Bersten’s jive earned 27 out of 30 points.
After the first round of dances, the combined scores put Kinney and Armstrong at the top of the leaderboard where they were tied with Graziadei and Johnson. Both pairs had 88 out of 90 points.
Maher and Bersten were in third place with 84 points, with Nedoroscik and Arnold in fourth place with 82 points. Amendola and Carson had 81 points.
The Winner Announcement Came After Fantastic Freestyle Performances
The “Dancing with the Stars” finalists prepared big freestyle routines to wow the viewers, and they all delivered.
Kinney and Armstrong’s freestyle received 30 out of 30 points. Their final score for the night was 118 out of 120.
Graziadei and Johnson received 29 out of 30 points for their freestyle. Their overall total was 117 out of 120.
Maher and Bersten got 30 out of 30 points for their freestyle. Their overall total for the night was 114 out of 120.
Nedoroscik and Arnold earned 30 out of 30 for their freestyle. They had a total of 112 out of 120 points for the night.
Amendola and Carson earned a score of 29 out of 30 for their freestyle. Their total score for the two nights combined was 110 out of 120.
After all the performances, the show combined the judges’ scores and viewer votes to determine the season 33 winner.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough whittled down the finalists.
Fifth place went to Amendola and Carson, while Nedoroscik and Arnold landed in fourth place. Third place went to Kinney and Armstrong. It came down to Maher and Bersten against Graziadei and Johnson for the big win.
Despite great scores and loads of fan support for all five finalists, there could only be one Mirrorball trophy winner in season 33. The trophy goes home with Graziadei and Johnson after a great season of competition.
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Who Won DWTS Season 33?