Big news! The Silent Assassin, a.k.a. Twinkle Toes 2, a.k.a. Mr. Irresistible, a.k.a. "The MVP of Dancing With the Stars Season 12" — that guy has just won Dancing With the Stars Season 12!
Hines Ward now has a Mirror Ball trophy to keep next to his Super Bowl MVP trophy. His adorable formerly injured partner Kym Johnson now has her own second win, after she memorably made a champion of Donny Osmond on Season 9.
Hines & Kym held onto the top spot on the leaderboard after everyone received perfect scores for the final routines of the season.
Second place went to crowd favorites Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Chelsea Kane & Mark Ballas were tied for the top judges’ scores, but had to settle for third place. Sorry for the not-so-great 25th birthday present, Mark!
Read on for a full recap of the DWTS Season 12 Finale, which included Chris Jericho kissing Bruno Tonioli on the mouth:
Brooke Watch 2011: How do we feel about the jewels running down the center of her gorgeous rose-colored strapless gown?
Season 12 cast returns: After the ultra-dramatic American Idol-inspired opening about the final three, the pros start dancing on the ballroom floor, followed by the return of their celeb partners. Nice lights on stage featuring each cast member’s name in huge block letters!
The Black Eyed Peas perform: The Black Eyed Peas give us the TV premiere of their new single, “Don’t Stop the Party." Lots of lasers and flashing lights. They played during the Super Bowl half-time show and Hines didn’t get to see it; he’s probably missing this one, too, since the final three still have their last dances to complete.
The judges discuss the finalists: They love how there were no frontrunners this season. Bruno calls Chelsea “the technician.” Carrie Ann says she has the most consistent technique. Len says Hines is the best football player they’ve had on the show. Carrie Ann says Hines’ secret weapon is his smile. Bruno calls him a ray of sunshine. Bruno calls Kirstie a phoenix rising from the ashes. Len says it’s great how Kirstie comes out and acts every dance. Carrie Ann says Kirstie knows how to bring an audience to their feet. An equal split!
Mike Catherwood dances: Nice video spoof of Psycho Mike auditioning to join the DWTS pro troupe — rocking some fierce pink legwarmers. He comes out and dances with the troupe, complete with headband, and eventually dances with Lacey Schwimmer, who is wearing the oddest half-black, half-fleshtone costume.
Petra Nemcova dances: Petra & Dmitry Chaplin! Love them. Miss them. They re-dance their moving Personal Story Week Waltz in honor of the Happy Hearts Fund. Josh Groban is here to sing “You Raise Me Up”! He must be our special guest. He is extra tasty crispy cute. Can we keep him?
Kendra Wilkinson dances: Kendra gets to shake her groove thing with lots of pro guys. What’s with the camerawork tonight? Multiple shaky moments. Speaking of shaky moments, it was hard for her to get down at the end, when she was on the judges’ table. She needed extra help. Oh well — call it a wardrobe malfunction.
Chris Jericho vs. Sugar Ray Leonard dance-off: Awesome! Ray & Anna Trebunskaya start dancing, then Chris & Cheryl Burke come out. Chris does his new Bruno imitation, lying down on the judges’ table and kissing him on the mouth! We’ll award him a “10” for that.
Wendy Williams has a video: She interviews herself and Tony Dovolani. She jokes that Mark wore as much eyeliner as Chelsea. Kirstie would be a great drinking partner. Hines is really nice and very attractive. The whole video package is a little weird. Wendy said she thought Hines would be the winner until she walked onto the lot. She doesn’t actually dance, which is probably for the best.
Macy's Design-a-Dance routine: Maks, Lacey, Cheryl and Chelsea danced an ‘80s Jive to “We Got the Beat,” performed live by the Go-Go’s with lead singer Belinda Carlisle, who is a DWTS Season 8 alumnus. Maks is dressed as a police officer — and oh, does he look good in uniform. He gets a nice little solo in the middle of the dance. If he wants to leave DWTS, he should be a cop or a fireman. Sizzling!
Romeo dances: He and Chelsie Hightower dance to “Greatest Love Of All,” inspiring kids everywhere. How many guilty pleasure songs does he have? There’s a whole children’s chorus on stage as they dance. Very sweet. He keeps plugging stuff, bless him!
Ralph Macchio returns: He and Karina Smirnoff re-dance their fun (and very green) Quickstep.
Final Dances: Favorite Routines
Chelsea Kane & Mark Ballas — Viennese Waltz to "Hedwig’s Theme” from the Harry Potter soundtrack — They’re redoing their “Wizard Waltz,” and it’s Harry Potter time! This is the routine where Len said they didn’t honor the 300-year-old dance. Awww! The pair get emotional in their last rehearsal, since they’ve become such good friends. That’s sweet. The routine looks pretty similar to how they did it the first time — and while we thought it was great both times, you never know how Len is going to react. Len says they’ve had their ups and downs, but bottom line? Chelsea is a fantastic dancer. Bruno calls her “Chelsea the enchantress.” Carrie Ann says that everyone may not have known her before, but now they see her for the talented artistic dancer that she is. Anyone feel like talking about the dance? Scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30. Total of 89 points out of 90 for both nights.
Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy — Cha-Cha-Cha to "Forget You” by Cee Lo Green — These two choose their first dance/date of the season, since Kirstie wants to show that her dress is half the size that it was when she started. They really are a great couple, bringing out the best (and occasionally worst) in each other. Why can’t they get married? Bruno calls Kirstie a “cheeky girl” who saved the best for last. The audience chants “Kirstie! Kirstie!” Carrie Ann notes authenticity, transformation and some magic in the dance. Len says that she has improved and produced her best dance. Scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30. Total of 84 out of 90. Suddenly, we’re wondering: Could they win?
Hines Ward & Kym Johnson — Samba to "Fantasy” by Earth, Wind and Fire — Black and yellow! Black and yellow! This is the Personal Story Week Samba that Hines dedicated to his mom, and it’s just as great the second time. Carrie Ann tries to shout over the crowd’s loud cheers. (Why is Sarah Palin in the audience again?) Carrie Ann calls Hines the MVP of Season 12. Len says dance is the product, but what’s impressive about him is the packaging; he brings dances to life. Bruno says he’s a killer when he plays sports and he’s a charming dazzler when he’s out there. He’s Mr. Irresistible. Scores: 10, 10, 10 = 30. Total 89 out of 90. Did the judges only bring their “10” paddles tonight?
Sara Evans performs: DWTS Season 3 alum Sara Evans returns to the ballroom floor after withdrawing from the competition back in 2006. She sings her new single “A Little Bit Stronger.” Oddly enough, the final three couples have to stand behind her on stage through the whole performance. And the song’s lyrics are about getting stronger and becoming more independent. Does that fit the theme? She sounds awesome, though. She’s a winner as far as we’re concerned.
Who gets third place? Having combined the judges’ scores from tonight and last night with the audience votes, they reveal third place to be … Chelsea & Mark. Wow. Could Kirstie actually win?
Who wins? Hines & Kym! Congrats to Team HineKym on a hard-earned victory!