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‘DWTS’ Season 33 Finale Live Scores, Dances and Winners

It all comes to an end in this explosive, three-hour finale.

Natalie Zamora

DANCING WITH THE STARS season 33 – Key Art
DANCING WITH THE STARS season 33 – Key Art / Disney

It’s been an absolute blast watching the current season of Dancing With the Stars. From incredible transformations, unbelievable performances and multiple suspected showmances, there’s been something for everyone when it comes to the ABC reality series. Here at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, we’ve been cheering on models Brooks Nader and Ilona Maher—the latter of whom competes in the season finale tonight. Though we’re sad to see such an exciting season come to an end, we’re on the edge of our seats to see who will go home with the Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Tonight, Dancing With the Stars airs a special three-hour event for its finale, which absolutely makes sense considering how much is on the line. Plus, the semifinals saw no one eliminated, meaning all five couples are competing tonight to win it all. These couples include Maher and pro Alan Bersten, Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson, Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson and Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong.

We’ll be updating this post live as we watch all night with the live performances, scores and the winners.

The episode began as a reflection of the season so far, looking back at the celebrities and how much they’ve grown. Did anyone else get emotional reliving some of the best performances of the season or was that just me? After a bit of reminiscing, the live dances began. But before the competition got started, we got to see an awesome dance performed by the full cast of the season, seeing past contestants return to reunite with their pro partners.

After that, the competition got started, beginning with gymnast Nedoroscik and his partner Arnold. The first dance would be an attempt to redo a previous style the judges thought they could improve on, and the second would be a fun freestyle.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold

For their first dance, Nedoroscik and Arnold revisited the Quickstep when dancing to “I’ll Be There for You” by The Rembrandts. The gymnast acknowledged how much pressure he was under, but recalled handling the Olympic pressure “perfectly.” He was confident he’d be able to do that again tonight. In matching pink, the pair looked happy as ever on the dancefloor, with the gymnast wearing a suit and Arnold rocking a striped short-sleeved crop top and billowy high-waisted pants.

Confetti poured from the ceiling as they concluded their dance, and the audience absolutely loved it. Judge Bruno Tonioli suggested the Quickstep for the pair, and he called their performance “top gear.” Carrie Ann Inaba said it was the best she’d seen them, while Derek Hough joked they were like two “anti-depressants” out there on the floor. Though Hough thought there was one moment that could've been improved, he also acknowledged how much their dance had improved.

Inaba scored them a 10, Hough gave them a 9 and Tonioli gave them a 10.

Related Story: Ilona Maher’s Never Before Seen SI Swimsuit Photos Drop Just in Time for ‘DWTS’ Finale

For their second dance, their freestyle, Nedoroscik was determined to combine gymnastics and dance. He and Arnold got emotional knowing this would be their final dance together, but that only motivated them to give it their all. The pair danced to the song “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, matching in blue and really leaning into the Olympian’s sport. They used a balance beam as a prop as Nedoroscik showed off his acrobatic skills. They moved to the dance floor next, totally acing their performance alongside backup dancers—featuring Nedoroscik’s own teammates.

Arnold got emotional when hugging Nedoroscik as they concluded the dance, and she wasn’t alone. The judges couldn’t help but feel all the feels as they gushed over their performance. The two received a perfect score of three 10s.

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson

Needless to say, Graziadei has had a fantastic season. He was the first Bachelor lead to make it to the DWTS finale and it was so well-deserved. For his first dance tonight alongside Johnson, the pair danced the Cha Cha to “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake, rocking lime green matching ‘fits. Johnson rocked a fabulous cut-out sleeveless dress with a flowy flapper skirt, while Graziadei wore a quarter-sleeve button down—unbuttoned—and black slacks.

Not only did the audience love the performance, but the judges, as expected, loved it as well. Tonioli said it was “polished to perfection,” while Hough felt it was better than redemption. Inaba said the reality star had been “consistent” each week, predicting he might win the season—which she believed would be “deserved.”

As for the scores, it should come as no surprise that Graziadei and Johnson received high marks. All three judges scored them 10s.

Just like Nedoroscik and Arnold, Graziadei and Johnson got very emotional knowing that this would be their final dance together. Johnson began crying when thanking her reality TV star partner for all of his great energy and effort in “making [her] dreams come true” in regard to her choreography. Channeling Graziadei’s former profession as a tennis instructor, the pair incorporated the sport in their performance, dancing to “Canned Heat” by District 78 featuring Jake Simpson.

Wearing matching tennis ‘fits, the two were totally fashionable in Challengers-like looks, complete with tennis balls held by their backup dancers. And while the audience erupted in applause when they concluded, Inaba called their performance “underwhelming.” Yikes. That said, Hough joked, “How dare you, Carrie Ann?” in response. Tonioli also enjoyed the performance, telling the pair that it was “original” and “totally unexpected.”

For their freestyle performance, Graziadei and Johnson scored a 9 from Inaba, a 10 from Hough and a 10 from Tonioli.

Danny Amendola and Witney Carson

Amendola has undergone an impressive evolution on Dancing With the Stars. For the finale, Hough requested that he and Carson try the Tango once more, and the pair danced to “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen. The pair performed this dance all the way back in week 1, and I think I speak for everyone when I say the wide receiver has improved so much over the weeks. He felt confident going into the finale, ready to give it his all.

He and Carson wore gorgeous deep red ‘fits, with Amendola rocking a suit and his pro partner wearing a long-sleeved crop top and matching floor-length flowy skirt. The judges congratulated the pair on a great performance, with Hough acknowledging how much they’d improved from the first week. Tonioli said he could see how much work they put into the performance, while Inaba declared that Amendola has had the best transformation of any male celebrity this season.

That said, the judges didn’t think Amendola and Carson gave the perfect performance—though it was close. All three judges scored them a 9.

Amendola and Carson were excited to dance one final time, with Carson suggesting a Barbie-themed performance. Amendola compared his pro partner to some of his past NFL teammates and was clearly very determined to get this last performance right. The pair danced to a mashup of “Pink” by Lizzo and “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling, showcasing their acting skills along with dancing. Amendola was absolutely hilarious dressed in Ken’s now-iconic fur coat and bleach-blonde hair. I’m biased because I’m still obsessed with the Barbie movie, but I totally loved this performance.

Hough called Amendola one of the “biggest surprises” of the season, telling him they “will never forget” his performances before thanking him for his work. Inaba scored them a 9, Hough gave them a 10 and Tonioli scored them another 10.

Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten

Maher and Bersten brought their A-game again tonight, re-doing their rendition of the Jive. The pair performed the song “Shake A Tail Feather” by Ray Charles and The Blues Brothers and looked great doing so. In matching gold outfits, Maher wore a great sequined flapper dress while her pro partner rocked a short-sleeved sequined button-down and black slacks with suspenders. The two were ecstatic as they concluded the dance, with Maher jumping on top of Bersten.

The judges couldn’t help but applaud the pair, with Tonioli, Inaba and Hough agreeing at how much they improved. Hough told the two that he was very “proud.” As for the scoring, all three judges gave them 9s.

Maher and Bersten also got very emotional ahead of their freestyle dance, with the professional rugby player telling her partner that she felt like she “won” no matter the results. They decided to dance to the song “Femininomenon” by District 78 featuring Mona Rue, with the SI Swimsuit model dedicating the performance to women who have been called “too big,” “too muscular” or “not pretty.” Maher looked phenomenal in a silver glittery ‘fit with matching thigh-high boots, while Bersten wore a long-sleeved collared shirt featuring Maher’s name on the back and black slacks.

Maher caught a rugby ball in the air to conclude the performance, which was positively electric. “You have become a true leading lady,” Tonioli gushed, while Inaba screamed when it was her turn to chime in. “You leave me feeling so empowered,” she told Maher. Hough was equally as complimentary, saying she was “burning bright.”

Maher and Bersten received three 10s from the judges for their amazing freestyle dance—their first perfect score of the season.

Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong

Though Kinney and Armstrong have been favorites all season, their scores haven’t been consistently perfect each week. In tonight’s finale, they were tasked with performing the Jive again, and the actress felt confident she and her pro partner could rock it. “I’m doing everything in my soul to maintain high energy the entire dance,” she shared in her voiceover. The pair danced in matching magenta ‘fits to “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars—and they certainly brought the right energy.

Kinney wore a fun sleeveless v-neck dress with a fun silver belt feature and flapper skirt while Armstrong wore a printed jacket, black t-shirt and black slacks. Their performance was applauded excitedly by both the audience and the judges—the latter of whom couldn’t stop complimenting the pair. Hough called it “sensational” while Tonioli said their performance was “beyond redemption.”

Kinney and Armstrong received perfect scores from the judges, with all three giving them 10s.

Kinney and Armstrong also bonded throughout their journey on DWTS together, and the actress opened up about her struggle with “perfectionism.” She told Armstrong that she was really “grateful” for him and he shared the same sentiment. They were also excited about the fact that they were the first Black couple to make it to the Dancing With the Stars finals, incorporating Black artists in their freestyle. The two absolutely brought it to the stage tonight, dancing to a mashup of “Hellzapoppin’” by Eyal Vilner Big Band and “Move On Up” by Curtis Mayfield in a black-and-white style performance in the first half. Incorporating classic and modern dances, they gave me chills with how great they did!

First rocking matching black and white pinstripe suits, the pair did a quick costume change halfway through the performance, switching to a matching orange color. Kinney wore a flapper-style bra and skirt set, while Armstrong rocked a velvet vest and pants set.

The judges applauded the two on their important performance, and Hough told them they should be “proud” of their work. As for their scores, Kinney and Armstrong received a perfect score with three 10s.

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson are the winners of Dancing With the Stars

After all of the performances, it was up to the audience votes to decide who would be winning Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars. Now, we finally know who’s been crowned the winner and has received the Mirror Ball. That would be Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson!

The winners were determined by combining the judges’ scores and the audience’s scores from the semifinals and finals. Here’s how the results were broken down:

  • Fifth place - Amendola and Carson
  • Fourth place - Nedoroscik and Arnold
  • Third place - Kinney and Armstrong
  • Second place - Maher and Bersten
  • First place - Graziadei and Johnson

Some of the celebrities featured this season of Dancing With the Stars—including Maher—were also announced to be making appearances during the upcoming DWTS Tour for select dates. Visit the tour website to find out more information.

Keep up with us at SI Swimsuit to read our fallout coverage of Dancing With the Stars Season 33.

dark. Next. Ilona Never Before Seen Photos. Ilona Maher’s Never Before Seen SI Swimsuit Photos

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Natalie Zamora
NATALIE ZAMORA

Natalie Zamora is a leader in the digital media space who specializes in entertainment and lifestyle topics. After graduating from Rutgers University where she majored in English and minored in Cinema Studies, she currently works as the VP of Entertainment Content, FanSided/SI Swimsuit at Minute Media. In addition to SI Swimsuit, her work can also be found on sites such as Winter is Coming, Mental Floss, and more. With a deep passion for pop culture, Natalie has her finger on the pulse of trending topics and loves to keep up with her favorite celebrities.

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