For the first time in “Dancing with the Stars” history, there were five couples in the finals and a married pro couple competing against each other. These couples competed in a ballroom and a Latin dance against each other for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
The opening number was the entire cast, including couples who were previously eliminated. To determine the winner, votes and scores from the semifinals and finale were added together.
Season 31 mirrorball winners, Mark Ballas and Charli D’Amelio, came back and performed a ballroom routine.
The finale also included behind-the-scenes footage of how each couple prepared their final and biggest dance of the season. Each judge chose a couple to give an explanation of why they think that they have a chance to win the trophy.
The ballroom dance was a redemption dance where couples performed a ballroom routine that they have already competed in and have now improved. In the second round, each of the couples performed a freestyle routine.
Val Chmerkovskiy and Xochitl Gomez received a perfect score of 30 points for both rounds and earned a total of 90 points.
Gomez and Chmerkovskiy are the first winners to take home a special trophy in honor of Len Goodman’s passing, the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. Goodman passed away in April of this year due to prostate cancer. He was a professional ballroom dancer and a judge on “Dancing with the Stars” since 2005.
Finishing second to Gomez and Chmerkovskiy were Jason Mraz and Daniela Karagarash. The cast looked back on some of the most memorable weeks and moments that made an impact on them.
You can watch the finale of season 32 on Disney+ and Hulu.