After making pre-season predictions, it was very exciting (for me, at least) to watch every week to see how right (or wrong) I was. After ten weeks of competition in the ballroom, the winners of season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) are Bachelor star Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson.

The pair took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Tuesday, Nov. 26, after competing against four other couples in the season finale. Danny Amendola, Stephen Nedoroscik, Chandler Kinney, and runner-up Ilona Maher closely followed Graziadei through the season. While my prediction of Kinney coming in first was incorrect, I was pretty close to guessing the other finalists, aside from outlier Amendola, who I had seventh in my original placements. 

To break it down for anyone interested…

What makes shows like DWTS and “Love Island” so exciting is the fan-vote aspect. Fans sitting at home can make an impact on the outcome of the events based on who they vote to stay in the competition. Everyone loves to watch drama but not be a part of it, and shows like these feed that want. 

While I was completely wrong about the placement of Anna Delvey, the reason I put her in sixth was because of the fan vote aspect. While I believed fans would want to keep her around to ramp up the drama and unexpectedness, I was sorely mistaken. She was the least favorite, and that was proven by her being eliminated first. 

Following Delvey, Tori Spelling, Eric Roberts and Reginald VelJohnson were understandable predictions, but because of the likability aspects and Roberts and VelJohnson just being downright sweet, it is no surprise they won over the hearts of the voters and stayed an extra week.

Aside from being far off on Delvey, I was right on with the placement of Brooks Nader. Even though she and her professional dance partner, Gleb Savchencko (AND the DWTS producers), tried to convince the fans to fall in love with their budding romance, their partnership turned tacky and had over-the-top, forced sexual chemistry that myself and the rest of the viewership did not buy into.

Even though Phaedra Parks made it farther than I thought she would, she was not a stand-out contestant during her run. Following Parks was Jenn Tran, who came in seventh place. 

Forgetting about Nader and Savchencko’s forced romance, Tran, who was fresh off a notorious season of “The Bachelorette” where her fiancé ghosted her after getting his fifteen minutes of fame from the show, found a legitimate romance with her partner, Sasha Farber. Farber and Tran have finally taken their relationship to social media after the conclusion of season 33, much to the delight of many fans.

While Dwight Howard and his partner, Daniella Karagach, made history with the largest height difference on the show, his 6’ 10” figure towering over her 5’ 3” stature, I was not the biggest fan of his and still believe he should have been voted off before Tran. 

Finally, the show concluded with five finalists, which has been the trend for the show in recent years. With this season having so many lovable stars, the toss-up of who would win was very unknown by the end. While I still believe Kinney was the best dancer on the show, Graziadei surprised everyone with his natural dance ability, and if I believe anyone else should have won, it would be him.

The final episode of the season was commemorative in many ways. Kinney and her partner, Brandon Armstrong, made history by becoming the first Black couple to make it to the finale of DWTS and celebrated Black figures in dance during their final performance. Next, Maher paid homage to the female empowerment movement that she has been advocating for all season with her dance choreographed by her partner Alan Bersten. Then, Nedoroscik brought in his fellow USA men’s gymnastics teammates during his final performance with his partner, Rylee Arnold, and her touching choreography. Lastly, Amendola gave Ryan Gosling a run for his money by doing a “Barbie” inspired dance with his partner, Witney Carson. 

This season was so enjoyable to follow along with both on Tuesday nights and with social media behind the scenes. Keep an eye out for my review of their national tour, “Dancing With the Stars: Live 2025,” after I attend their stop in Ames, Iowa this coming Feb. 2025!