Robert Irwin and Witney Carson were crowned the winners of Dancing with the Stars' Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Tuesday night, claiming the title of Season 34 champions in what the judges described as one of the closest finales in the show's history.

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Five couples — Robert and Witney, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten — competed for the coveted trophy in the special live three-hour finale which aired Tuesday, November 25 on ABC.

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"The winners and new champions of Dancing with the Stars are, Robert and Witney," announced co-host Alfonso Ribeiro.

Dancing with the Stars co-host Julianne Hough noted the gap between Robert and Alix and Alix and Val, who finished in second place, "was one of the tightest" they have ever seen in a finale. 

Robert and Alix also received more votes than any couple had ever received on Dancing with the Stars, according to the co-hosts.

Record-Breaking Voting

The finale drew record-breaking engagement, with the Dancing with the Stars season receiving more than double the votes compared to last season, totaling 72 million votes.

Overall, Season 34 accumulated more than half a billion votes throughout the competition.

Robert's Emotional Victory

Robert, who competed while dealing with rib pain throughout the finale, expressed gratitude for his journey on the show.

"My sister said it best, thank you for changing my life," said Robert after his victory was announced.

Witney praised her partnership with Robert, saying, "I'm so grateful for Robert, honestly, I already feel like I won with him as my friend and I can't thank you enough."

Robert had been dealing with intercostal muscle pain throughout the competition, with his professional partner Witney expressing concern during rehearsals.

Despite the injury, Robert pushed through all three rounds of competition — the Judges' Choice round, the Instant Dance round, and the Freestyle round.

Perfect Scores Across the Board

Multiple couples earned perfect scores throughout the night. Alix and Val were the only couple to achieve a perfect 90/90 across all three dances.

Dylan and Daniella, Elaine and Alan, and Jordan and Ezra all received perfect 30s from the judges during various rounds.

Jordan's Freestyle performance stood out as particularly impressive, with judge Carrie Ann calling it "the best Freestyle I've seen in 20 seasons, hands down."

Jordan performed to "Motivation" by Normani and was joined on stage by Normani herself for the routine.

"You are a powerful woman of color and came here to represent and you show them how it's done," Carrie Ann told Jordan after her performance.

Judges' Leaderboard Scores Breakdown

Here's how each couple ranked on the Judges' Leaderboard at the conclusion of their three dances:


Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy (Total: 90/90, 1st place)

Judges' Choice (Samba): 30/30

Instant Dance (Cha Cha): 30/30

Freestyle: 30/30


Robert Irwin and Witney Carson (Total: 89/90, tied for 2nd place)

Judges' Choice (Quickstep): 29/30

Instant Dance (Cha Cha): 30/30

Freestyle: 30/30


Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa (Total: 89/90, tied for 2nd place)

Judges' Choice (Paso Doble): 29/30

Instant Dance (Tango): 30/30

Freestyle: 30/30


Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach (Total: 88/90, 4th place)

Judges' Choice (Paso Doble): 28/30

Instant Dance (Foxtrot): 30/30

Freestyle: 30/30


Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten (Total: 87/90, 5th place)

Judges' Choice (Rumba): 30/30

Instant Dance (Quickstep): 27/30

Freestyle: 30/30

Final Finish Order

When the Dancing with the Stars judges' scores and home viewer voting results were combined and Alfonso and Julianne announced the final results, Elaine and Alan finished in fifth place.

They were followed by Dylan and Daniella in fourth place and Jordan and Ezra in third place -- leaving Alix and Val and Robert and Witney as the Dancing with the Stars season's top two couples.

Emotional Journeys

Each finalist reflected on their personal growth throughout the Dancing with the Stars season.

Elaine, 54, noted that winning would make her the oldest person to win the competition. She performed a theatrical Freestyle to "I Hope I Get It (from A Chorus Line)" that included appearances from fellow cast members Lisa Ann Walter and Andy Dick.

"I legitimately feel like I can say I'm a dancer again because this show helped me get part of my life back," Elaine said during the finale.

Dylan spoke about his transformation throughout the competition, saying he wasn't happy with himself during the first few weeks but felt proud by the finale. His emotional Freestyle performance moved the judges and audience to tears.

"My whole life, I've watched my brother perform. I never wanted to be in the spotlight and the fact that I can step on stage and capture people's attention gives me chills. I finally feel like I belong here," Dylan said.

Alix credited the show with unlocking a new side of herself. "Dancing with the Stars has unlocked this new side of me," she told the judges.

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Jordan emphasized that the show helped her demonstrate there's more to gymnasts than their sport. "That performance felt so amazing. It showed I'm more than a gymnast," Jordan told co-host Julianne Hough after her Freestyle.

Season 34 Success

Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars marked a record-breaking year for the franchise, with the September premiere drawing the show's biggest debut in five years and a 49% ratings bump from Season 33.

Premiere voting also increased by 163% over last season's premiere.
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