Shawn Johnson Wins Dancing with The Stars!
Gilles Marini second
Melissa Rycroft third
A star flips to become the new `Dancing' champ
Shawn Johnson is adding a mirrorball trophy to her collection of Olympic medals.
The 17-year-old gymnast was named "Dancing With the Stars" champion Tuesday during the season finale of the hit ABC show.
The winning couple held the mirrorball trophy aloft as the rest of the contestants rushed out to greet them, hoisting them into the air as sparkling confetti flew.
"This has been the best experience ever," Johnson said after her victory. "I've grown so much."
Johnson was tied with fellow finalist Gilles Marini after Melissa Rycroft was dismissed earlier in Tuesday's show.
All three finalists performed one last dance, each earning a perfect score of 30 from the judges. Viewer votes are combined with judges' scores to determine the "Dancing" champ.
Show host Tom Bergeron said "less than 1 percent" separated the two finalists.
"This has been, without a doubt the best season ever," said head judge Len Goodman. "We've got the three best dancers here in the final."
"I'm so happy for Shawn and Mark. They worked so hard," Marini said, referring also to Mark Ballas, Johnson's professional dance partner.
Former contestant Jeffrey Ross came back for a little comic relief, roasting the three finalists, calling them, "the underage, the unwed and the unpronounceable."
Tuesday's season finale also featured a performance by Lady Gaga and the finale of the new pro-dancer competition. Anna Damidova competed with three other professional dancers for a spot on next season's "Dancing With the Stars."
Previously dismissed celebrities -- including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, rodeo champ Ty Murray, funnyman Steve-O, singer Belinda Carlisle, rapper Lil Kim, former football star Lawrence Taylor, country singer Chuck Wicks, reality star Holly Madison, and actors David Alan Grier and Denise Richards -- returned for a last dance.
Dancing with the Stars
Tuesday’s Dancing Finale: What You Didn’t See
May 20, 2009 Reference: tvwatch.people.com
Proud Parents: While gold confetti fell from above the ballroom floor, Shirley Ballas and Teri Johnson looked on, their eyes brimming with tears as their babies — Mark Ballas and Shawn Johnson — were crowned season 8 champs. “Oh my gosh! I’m so thrilled and surprised,” Johnson’s mom told PEOPLE, adding, “She does well under pressure.” Though this was the second DWTS trophy for Ballas, his mom Shirley, a ballroom pro herself, was also in shock. “I thought Gilles (Marini) and Cheryl (Burke) had it in the bag,” she said. “The difference I saw in Shawn was a shy 17-year-old girl who turned into a woman. She gained momentum, she knew it was close and she knew what she had to do. She peaked at the right moment, didn’t she?”
The Agony of Defeat: Mere steps away from the mini huddle gathered around Johnson and Ballas was runner-up Gilles Marini consoling his son, Georges. The 10-year-old, who watched his father perform on Monday and Tuesday, sobbed as Marini held him in his arms and told him over and over “it’s alright, it’s alright.” Marini said his son’s disappointment was “pretty intense. He’s taking it badly. He’s a 10-year-old, and he wanted to put the trophy on the shelf in (his sister) Juliana’s room.” Despite not winning, Marini says the evening’s outcome was “a win-win situation.” The show introduced him to the American public, and even better, “I got to meet Cheryl,” Marini said. “If not for her, I would have been gone the first week.”
Broadway Bound: Tom Bergeron proudly announced another big news Tuesday’s night: his co-host Samantha Harris will be starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway this summer. “I’m so beyond ecstatic, over-the-moon for getting my first Broadway role,” said an exuberant Harris. Looking elegant in a vintage gown and an array of Kwiat jewels, Harris couldn’t help but gush about her summer gig, which kicks off in July. “This is a dream come true. Being on the stage in front of thousands of people with the lights hitting you, that is where I come alive,” said Harris, who’s known more for her Dancing and Insider hosting duties than performing. But Harris is no stranger to the stage. “I grew up in a musical family,” she revealed. “My parents were in West Side Story when they were in high school in Minneapolis.”
Gimme a Break: With no summer Dancing tour this season, the stars and pros are planning a variety of other gigs. Cheryl Burke plans to vacation, while fellow pro Edyta Sliwinska will hit the books in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in journalism at UCLA. After back-to-back reality show stints, Melissa Rycroft tells PEOPLE she only has one thing on her mind for the immediate future: “I’m excited to go back home.” As for her partner Tony Dovolani, he’ll be hitting the gym hard. Dovolani has signed on to appear as a bodybuilder in an independent movie, Pumping Up, and has his work cut out: “I have to gain 15 pounds of muscle,” he said. Lil’ Kim will also be hard at work. Her plans include writing a book, working on a new album and a Las Vegas show, which will feature singing and dancing with some Cirque du Soleil-style artistry. And it’s back to the Texas ranch for Ty Murray, who has “500 head of cattle. We have a lot of work to do.” While Murray has hung up his dancing shoes for good, wife Jewel, who withdrew before the season began due to injury, is (half-heartedly) thinking about putting hers back on. When the injury first occurred, Jewel vowed to return to Dancing once healed, but now says: “I’ve seen how tired Ty is after rehearsing. He comes home and he is beat. I’m not sure I want to work that hard.”
You Bet: There was more than bragging rights and a mirror-ball trophy at stake Tuesday night. Murray and his former dance partner Chelsie Hightower had a little wager riding on the night’s winner. Hightower’s money was on Gilles Marini, while Murray’s pick was Shawn Johnson. “It didn’t have anything to do with their dancing, but how was America going to vote,” explained Murray, who became a fan favorite due to his determination and sense of humor. “I can’t make a living from my dancing so I have to make my money elsewhere.” Speaking of wagers, Mark Ballas will soon be collecting a $100 from Bachelor host Chris Harrison, who bet Ballas that Melissa Rycroft would finish ahead of Shawn Johnson this season. Doesn’t Harrison know that Olympic athletes have a proven track record on DWTS? Johnson is the third Olympian to win Dancing, following in the fancy footsteps of speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi. – By Monica Rizzo and Elaine Aradillas
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