On Tuesday, November 26th, Dancing with the Stars aired its final episode of season 33. This season was especially challenging for the competitors as five couples made it to the final. The finalists consisted of Ilona Maher and Alan, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee, Joey Graziadei and Jenna, Chandler Kinney and Brandon, and Danny Amendola and Whitney. All the couples put in their best effort, but Joey and Jenna were the lucky couple who took home the Mirrorball Trophy. The trophy was Jenna’s second time as a DWTS champion, winning her first season in Season 26. Joey was a bachelor in the most recent season of The Bachelor. Olympian Ilona made 2nd place, Zombies actress Chandler won 3rd, Olympic gymnast Stephen took 4th, and NFL player Danny came in 5th.
Though these were the final results, most viewers anticipated a different outcome. We were rooting for Chandler and Brandon to come in first and thought Stephen should have placed higher. We believe that Chandler was judged unfairly by judge Carrie Ann throughout this season. The week of the semi-finals the couple danced a beautiful foxtrot to Hozier’s song Too Sweet. According to the judge, during a lift, Chandler’s foot came off the floor twice, but still, the dance left us in awe of her talent and improvement. Chandler’s freestyle performances further demonstrated her skill, including her redemption jive and her historical freestyle that paid homage to Black performers before her, both winning perfect scores. Stephen’s freestyle won our hearts, as he danced to “Viva la Vida” alongside his Olympic teammates. The pommel horse segment added a personal touch to the performance.
Some of our favorite moments throughout this season included Joey and Jenna’s Halloween and Disney performances, Ilona’s Disney performance, and Danny’s contemporary performance on Dedication Night. Ilona’s Disney performance caught us by surprise as Alan came onto the stage in a donkey costume, including a full donkey face. We also enjoyed the active social media presence from DWTS pros and stars, particularly from Ezra Sosa, Ilona, and Rylee. Another highlight was host and ex-pro Julianne Hough’s surprise performance with the male pros. Her unexpected performance left both the audience and fellow dancers shocked. We were also delighted to see last season’s winner, actress Xochitl Gomez, make an appearance on the dance floor during the finale.
As we look back on this memorable season, we look forward to seeing some pros and stars returning on the Dancing with the Stars tour. Covering 69 cities, the grand tour will include the top four finalists and will be co-hosted by Stephen Nedoroscik. We cannot wait to see the stars shine on the dance floor once more!
