[Warning: If you haven’t watched the latest Dancing With the Stars, big spoilers follow.]
Nyle DiMarco! The deaf supermodel-actor took home the Mirror Ball Trophy at the end of Tuesday’s emotional two-hour finale, eking out a victory over other celeb finalists Paige VanZant and Ginger Zee. “This is such an amazing feeling. This whole thing has been so incredible because of this man,†DiMarco’s pro-partner, Peta Murgatroyd, told DWTS co-host Tom Bergeron after the reveal. “I can’t believe it! We won the Mirror Ball!†DiMarco added via Twitter. “This is for 70 million deaf ppl in the world. Peta, I love you.â€
VanZant snagged second and Zee took third. For the finale’s fusion challenge the winning pair performed a cha-cha/tango, earning a perfect 30 from the judges. Right before scoring, in a move that brought many to tears, Carrie Ann Inaba signed DiMarco a special message: “Thank you for showing us your beautiful heart when you dance.†Catch the routine and moment below:
You’ll be able to (re-)watch the whole episode here, tomorrow, and the ABC show returns in the fall with a new slew of stars for season 23.