Jennifer Grey Wins DWTS, Bristol Gets Third Place
Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC (3)
And the season-11 champion of Dancing with the Stars is...
Jennifer Grey!
The actress, 50, grabbed the ABC competition's mirrorball trophy on Tuesday's results show, beating out fellow finalists Kyle Massey and Bristol Palin. Disney star Massey, 19, came in second place, while controversial young mom and political daughter Palin, 20, ranked third.
PHOTOS: Bristol's wild DWTS days
Grey and pro partner Derek Hough entered the finale as clear frontrunners, scoring raves from judges and a perfect 60 for their two dances on Monday (including an emotional cha-cha tribute to her iconic Dirty Dancing role and late costar Patrick Swayze.)
The star burst into tears immediately after winning. The mother (to Stella, 8, with actor husband Clark Gregg) almost didn't dance on Tuesday after rupturing a disk the night before and visiting the hospital.
PHOTOS: Before they were on DWTS
"I'm glad I did [dance]!" a tearful Grey (who endured multiple surgeries for thyroid cancer and an old neck injury before DWTS) admitted to host Tom Bergeron.
(To determine the winner, call-in and online votes were combined with judges' scores for their two Tuesday-night dances.)
VIDEO: Bristol's final cha-cha
Still, it was one of the most hotly contested wins in DWTS history. On Tuesday, ABC said that "a record amount of activity" temporarily overloaded its online and telephone voting systems following Monday's show, according to the Associated Press.
Young mom Palin, 20, was the lightning-rod contestant of the season. The ex-fiance of Levi Johnston and daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin avoided the axe despite consistently low scores. Some detractors suggested a right-wing-voting bloc was behind her DWTS dominance. When Palin advanced to the finals last Tuesday (while early favorite Brandy was eliminated), one Wisconsin man shot his television in disgust. Then, over the weekend, an envelope containing a mysterious white powder, allegedly addressed to Palin, arrived at DWTS studios. (The powder was later identified as harmless talcum powder)
PHOTOS: Which DWTS alum have hooked up off the dance floor?
"I just let whatever they say roll off my back," Palin told UsMagazine.com Tuesday of the "haters."
For champion Grey -- out of the Hollywood spotlight for years -- DWTS allowed her to face her fears following numerous medical scares.
"I'm ticking things off my list," she told Us in September. "I had a tumor removed; I had spinal surgery; I had four surgeries in three months...Now, here I am, dancing the jive! I am so happy!"
Tell Us What You Think
26I loved Lacey & Kyle! Their fun personalities always shined through their dances! I thought they should've won, even though I liked Bristol too! I think she was just a little shy letting go in her dances and I'm sure all the negative press probably messed with her head.
Does anyone know the name of the song Jennifer and Derek danced to to win? It is an oldie, but I can't remember it. Thanks.
we watched it every nite it was on enjoyed the dancing they all gave there best.
I had known from day 1 that Jennifer Grey would win, and I'm THRILLED that she did! Everyone loved the movie Dirty Dancing. I think having her on the show, and watching her progress every week and get perfect score after perfect score had Patrick so proud of her. She's an amazing woman, and I've loved her since Ferris Buellers Day Off. She had 0 dance training going into Dirty Dancing, and hadn't danced since then... BRAVO JENNIFER!! YOU ARE TRULY INSPIRATIONAL!
The right person won. Just because you were in movie about dancing 25 years ago doesn't make you a professional dancer. Any why does everyone have to make everything into a political fight? It's about dancing, not politics...
Come on people did you really think Bristol would have won? No she was never going to win and she knew it.Kyle should have beat Jennifer.
Such a surprise that two professionally trained dancers win an amateur dance "competition". No doubt the judges votes were politically correct. *********** Lots of truth to that!! But you left out "rigged" votes.
Not fair! How can non professionals compete with a pro? Jennifer was a pro. Also, I don't like the way the judges changed the way the votes were counted. They were so afraid Bristol would win they had to rig it for the way they wanted & not what the public wanted. My last year to watch. What a bunch of crap. Also, for those that wonder? Well I thought Kyle was the better dancer in the last few dances & should have won......not a pro.
I hear ya, Kathy! And if I have to hear that stupid quote about Baby in the corner one more time...god help me!! I am totally glad she won. She was the best, but still. Seriously, ONE movie a GENERATION ago and she acts like she pines for her long-lost career dance partner or something...tired of her histrionics. She CHOSE to go on a frickin' dance show very aware her aches and pains were going to be amplified because of it. Good grief. I also wish Bristol wouldn't comment on the "haters" either, no matter how deserved they might be. It will only make the "haters" call her a whiner. I think I would snap after a while, too, though. Ultimately, just like Jennifer, she also CHOSE to go on the show and she also knows the vitriol that exists for her mother and therefore herself by proxy. She kept her mouth shut up until the last 2 weeks...she should have bit her tongue a little bit longer.
I think Jennifer was the only winner who disappointed me. Yes she was the better dancer so she should have won. For someone in such constant, intense pain, you would think we would catch a wince on her face or a tear in her eye while performing at least once. How do you go from excruciating pain to dancing without a grimace? Sorry. Not believable d-actress or not. She was lucky to have Derek Hough who put together amazing performances and can bring out the best in a dancer. To all the Palin haters, it was funny hearing them go crazy for awhile. That's what most people go through on a daily basis enduring obama. If a republican blew out his tv watching obama it would be front page news without a doubt. Just stating facts.
best deserved winner sould of been kyle being in medical occupation it is a mirical that jennifer recovered in one day lot of my pt. like know who's her doc. she played this sympathy card to her advantage.
Kathy, you're just a hater. Lighten up or it will consume you; it's just a TV show... Jennifer is a good dancer and an even better person.
Anybody as sick as I was of Jennifer Grey's constant drama and antics to garner sympathy votes? Every week was another crushing dramatic story, bawling, excruciating pain, invoking Swayze's memory, more bawling, more pain; AND last night just for good measure to get in one last BS sympathy story, she was supposedly dancing with a ruptured disk? Pahlease. If you've ever had one, you know darn well you couldn't move like that. You're lucky to get yourself to the bathroom unassisted. Had hoped Kyle would win because he was the most sincere and most entertaining. Sick of Grey's drama and Palin's childish responses to the haters. She should have just ignored them altogether. Last night's comment that winning would be like giving the middle finger to the haters was a bit much. Bristol, I know it gets old dealing with irrational ignorant lefty Palin haters, but mature a little. As long as your family is in the public eye, there will always be moronic haters. And even though the behavior and ignorance is more accelerated on one side over the other, it exists on both sides. It doesn't matter which side of the political isle you're on. Be glad you're not Chelsea Clinton who had righty bloggers trashing her wedding and invoking 'world order' arranged marriage conspiracy theories. Kids should be off limits - period. Except when you're inserting yourself in the press and running your moronic mouth taking jabs at everyone like Megan McCain.
Jennifer isn't the only one who won Derek did too
It is ridiculous that Bristol thinks she has "haters" nobody hates her since most of the votes went to her. She should be happy she advanced to the finals!
so glad its OVER so all the poor sports and whiny babies, can tune their tv's to something that won't make them shoot it! LOLOL Insane little monkeys!! To have such hatred for someone you don't know and who is NOT a celeb or politician!! is priceless! Didn't watch a second of it, but the unhinged fans were very entertaining!!
Spelled Jennifer wrong, sorry.
Sen- Jenifer is not a professional. She danced in one movie a long time ago. That is like saying someone played a football player in a movie so he is a professional. So glad Jennifer and Kyle placed 1st and 2nd. :o)
Loved it! So glad Jennifer won because she deserved it!
Such a surprise that two professionally trained dancers win an amateur dance "competition". No doubt the judges votes were politically correct.