Kaitlyn Bristowe is Dancing with the Stars' season 29 winner!
On Monday night's finale, the former Bachelorette star and her fellow three finalists — Nelly, Justina Machado and Nev Schulman — battled it out on the ballroom floor for the title of DWTS champion.
The celebrities and their pro partners each danced two dances for the live show: a repeat one of their favorite performances from earlier in the season, with some new creative elements, and a fan-favorite freestyle.
Bristowe, 35, and pro Artem Chigvintsev kicked off the competition by repeating their Argentine tango to “Toxic” by Britney Spears (they earned a 30/30), later followed by a freestyle dance to "Sparkling Diamonds" from Moulin Rouge, which also earned a perfect 30/30.
Second was Grammy-winning rapper Nelly, 46, and pro Daniella Karagach, who repeated their samba to “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge, which earned a 27/30. Their freestyle was a dance to "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion and “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G. that was awarded a 30/30.
Third was Catfish host Schulman, 36, and pro Jenna Johnson. After repeating their Paso Doble to “Black Swan Swan Lake” by District 78, which scored a 30/30, they danced a freestyle to "Singin’ in the Rain" by District 78 that also was awarded a 30/30.
One Day at a Time actress Machado, 48, and pro Sasha Farber were fourth, repeating their cha cha to "Respect" by Aretha Franklin and earning a 30/30. For their freestyle, they danced to "Let’s Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez and "Bamboleo" by The Gypsy Kings, earning a perfect 30/30.
At the end of the show, host Tyra Banks announced that Machado had landed in fourth place and Nelly in third, leaving Bristowe and Schulman as the two final celebrities competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.
Finally, Banks revealed that Bristowe and Chigvintsev, 38, were named the named the champions of DWTS, which is the pro dancer's first-ever Mirrorball Trophy win.
Bristowe's win comes one year after former Bachelorette Hannah Brown was crowned the season 28 champion in November 2019.
The inale, which saw the return of numerous season 29 couples to the ballroom, also brought performances by Nelly and Hough.
Nelly performed a medley of his greatest hits, including "Ride Wit Me," "Lil Bit" and "Hot in Herre" while Karagach danced with her husband, Pasha Pashkov. As for six-time Mirrorball champion Hough, he put on his dancing shoes and performed a solo on the ballroom floor to "Let’s Fall in Love for the Night."
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