Who needs a Super Bowl ring when you have a Mirror Ball trophy?
After recapping the entire season like we haven’t been watching the whole time, “Dancing with the Stars” finally announced the show’s new champion, as Season 24 came to a close on Tuesday night: NFL’s Rashad Jennings and his partner Emma Slater.
Hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews revealed the winners of the Mirror Ball trophy after the duo laid waste to the dance floor. With less than 24 hours to master a finale routine, Jennings and Slater received nearly perfect scores across the board from the panel of judges.
MLB star David Ross and partner Lindsay Arnold were the runner-ups, while Normani Kordei and partner Val Chmerkovskiy placed third, which surprised pretty much everybody, including her Fifth Harmony bandmates who were in the audience.
“I just wanted people to enjoy watching me on the dance floor,” Jennings told People, reflecting on his journey throughout the season. “I hope people get up on their couch and dance when they’re watching at home. I just wanted to bring fun to the dance floor.”
Season 24 of the hit ABC reality show was chock-full of twists, with early frontrunners actress Heather Morris and Olympian Simone Biles eliminated long before many fans expected. However, in recent weeks, Jennings gained momentum by infusing his footwork with a sense of fun and personality.
Of course, Twitter was quick to weigh in on the outcome with many celebrating Jennings’ win, while others lamented Kordei’s loss after a season of consistently high scores and expert dancing.
If the over two-hour finale didn’t satisfy all your dancing needs, then you can catch both Jennings and Slater on the “DWTS” tour this summer.
“Dancing with the Stars” will return for Season 25 this September on ABC.
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