Who Won Dancing with the Stars Season 34 — Alix, Dylan, Elaine, Jordan, or Robert?

At the close of the night, Alfonso Ribeiro revealed to the Top 2 couples that they had each received more votes than anyone else ever has in the history of this show — just tonight. And to top it off, it was one of the tightest finishes to any season, with a razor-thin margin between them. So who pulled out the win?

Coming into the night, Elaine Hendrix and Dylan Efron were obvious underdogs, though both have had incredible journeys and were peaking at the right time. The people’s champion appeared to be Robert Irwin, but it is also hard to deny the social media strength of Jordan Chiles, while Alix Earle has been a judges’ favorite from Day 1 for her technical strength.

In other words, there were multiple paths to this finale, everyone has delivered stellar and flawless dances to this point, so everyone had a justifiable reason to pull off this win. The only thing standing in their way was an unprecedented three rounds of competition.

The night kicked off with the judges picking a style they’d not yet tackled on the show, to continue to push them. Then, they had an “instant dance,” which is a style they’d done before, but one they literally learned about (as well as the music) right before the commercial break preceding their dance … so, like five minutes to have a routine.

Then, the night wrapped with one of the most popular rounds ever on the show as the rules go out the window and it’s all about self-expression with a freestyle. We’ve seen some good ones over the years, but these were among the most technically ambitious, intricate, and showstopping freestyles ever.

That didn’t make it any easier to settle on a winner, or runner-up, or second runner-up, or … well, you get the idea. But to get to there, we first have to get through all that came before those final results in this three-hour night of dance.

Who is your Fifth Judge, you ask? Well, Jason Hughes spent a decade of his life sweating and bleeding to the music as a dancer. From learning a shuffle-ball-change to performing with the St. Louis Ballet Company, he experienced the ups and downs of one of the most difficult physically demanding sports on the planet. And he’s spent two decades analyzing and critiquing reality competition shows. As he puts it, “I’ve got this.”

Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’m probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.

(“Never Can Say Goodbye,” The Communards) A nostalgic look back at the season with a showcase for not only the incredible pros that make this show possible, including the troupe, but also the celebrities who’ve helped this show have an unprecedented resurgence. We loved some of the applause for eliminated stars like Andy Richter, Scott Hoying, and Corey Feldman. Everyone was having a ball in the ballroom and we were feeling the energy. Plus, can we talk about the amazing looks for the Final 5 for their dramatic reveal! Come on, now!

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• Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson
• Baron Davis & Britt Stewart

(“Sugar on My Tongue,” Tyler, the Creator) Eliminated together, Corey wasn’t even bothering to do anything ballroom, but he was bringing what it is that he does to this stage and he’s always unpredictable and entertaining. Baron was a sloppy mess, but we could still see that he’s held on to some of what he learned in his short time. This was short, as it should be, but it was nice to celebrate two of the famous faces that got the season started.

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• Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong
• Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko
• Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold
• Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik

(“Applause,” Lady Gaga) This second group of dancers was a showcase of just how strong this competition was because this group landed in the bottom half of the season. It also showed that Scott probably should not have outlasted both Lauren and Hilaria, as they brought some fierce moves to the floor. It’s wild to think that in another season, some of these dancers could well have been finalists with a few more weeks to tighten their obvious abilities

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• Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov
• Andy Richter & Emma Slater
• Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas

(“I Don’t Dance,” Alexander Jean) Whitney was leaps and bounds beyond her two celebrity partners on this one throughout the season and here as well, but we loved the creativity in the choreography for playing into Andy’s comedic personality and how beloved he was throughout the season. They managed some fun moments and clearly everyone was having a good time, and if dance isn’t joy then it’s not properly dance!

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(“Tanguera,” Fabio Hager Sexteto) Joey’s goal was to celebrate the 20th season with a dance that would (mostly) make Len Goodman proud with their last dance as champions. When you think about that Bachelor lead with the “puppy dog” energy we first met last season, it’s incredible what a transformation he made in that time, and how sharp he still is. This was a dramatic leading man, creating beautiful moments with a professional partner and looking as good as she did in the process. They were commanding and powerful and proved why they won it all. Who could step up to this level this season?

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(“Sapphire,” Ed Sheeran) This was such a tender performance by some of the pros who will be hitting the road this summer, and we particularly appreciated the connections on display from some of the real-life couples among this incredibly talented cast. Seeing them perform together with obvious chemistry and genuine love was emotionally powerful, even though the pros who were just performing with another pro were right there with them. This was a great showcase of the diversity of talent in this cast which goes so far beyond just classic ballroom. It should be another incredible tour!

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(Carrie Ann / Samba – “Hip Hip Chin Chin,” Club des Belugas) She was sizzling at the start of this, but fell into concentration for a bit somewhere in the middle, and we could see it. Those hips were swiveling but there’s a staccato hit that adds punctuation to the moves that was missing a bit. Also, the samba roll lacked finesse and a smooth continuation into the final circuit. Look, these are minor quibbles, we’re just saying there was a bit of nerves here on display. She really did embody the sensual Latin character through most of this piece and we’re still mesmerized by those first moments. Val’s choreography was incredible and she was there for all of it.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(Bruno / Paso doble – “Stampede,” Alexander Jean f. Lindsey Stirling) Dylan was given quite the challenge to get out of his head, focus on performance and deliver a style that demands sharp, consistent energy. He didn’t get there. There were a few pretty pictures along the way, and he definitely got stronger once Daniella pulled his shirt off, but it was so inconsistent. We saw him waiting for her at one point, he wobbled on his knee at another, and his posture was inconsistent, as were the shaping and holds. When he was on, it was sharp and right and beautiful. But too often he would then slip out of the character. This isn’t going to do it — and isn’t justifying him being here over Whitney Leavitt (because of her off-show drama).

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9

My Score: 7

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(Derek / Rumba – “Take My Breath Away,” Jae Hall) Gorgeous choreography executed to perfection. Elaine’s swivels were so sensual and on point, her lines, her arms, hands, and perhaps most importantly, her dramatic presentation really sold every moment. This smoldered from start to those stunningly intricate final moments. We were even mesmerized by her fingers at times. We may have forgotten to breathe through much of that — or maybe their dancing just took our breath away.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 10

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(Derek / Quickstep – “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” Jet) We loved the final trick of him pushing Witney almost to the ground, but her holding her hair the way she did took away from it just a smidge. All in all, though, what a dynamic and joyful performance this was. And Robert was doing moves that someone with injured rib muscles probably should not be doing — and you’d never know. The footwork was fantastic, the frame was just about perfect throughout and they really livened up the ballroom with this one.

Judges Scores: 9, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(Carrie Ann / Paso doble – “Breakin’ Dishes,” Rihanna) It took a few bars for Jordan to really settle into her full fierce self for this performance, but once she was locked in, baby, she stayed locked. The back half of this performance gave us everything from both of them. The choreography waited a bit to give us some of those classic paso moments that really immerse us in the bullfight, but when they were there, Jordan was incredibly strong. She truly has emerged as a contender for this trophy, and we would not have guessed that after Week 1.

Judges Scores: 9, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(Cha-cha-cha – “Where Is My Husband!” Raye) This was on its way to being an overall fantastic instant dance until they faltered right at the end. Alix had the character of the piece down pat, delivering great swivel hips and footwork. Her secondary hand lost itself a bit as the dance continued, and then things just fell off completely on the final turn — did Val get caught in her hair? These things happen, but it did hurt a great rhythm to that point.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 8

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(Foxtrot – “Ordinary,” Alex Warren) Dylan was actually stronger here than in a dance he choreographed all week. He was right to believe he was more confident in frame because he is a great partner in that way. Daniella, of course, was sinuous and all over the place, but Dylan really had a lot of beautiful moments with her. His foot placement and glide across the floor looked effortless, but we did see his frame creep forward a bit. It is uncanny that he pulled this off and a testament to both his hard work and his partner’s mastery of both her role and his.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(Quickstep – “You Can’t Hurry Love,” The Supremes) We can think of no style more terrifying for an instant dance than the quickstep. Like, we would choreograph a full dance for this just in case, and what happened here is why. It started off okay, but Elaine quickly fell out of step, and from there she just wasn’t fully committing to the moves when she was confident what they were. On a night that demands as close to perfect, she is lucky she had a stellar first dance, because this one fell apart quickly and never fully got back on track.

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9

My Score: 7

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(Cha-cha-cha – “Cake by the Ocean,” DNCE) “The cha cha never made sense to me,” Robert said, admitting how much he relies on the music, too. In other words, this was just about his worst-case scenario round. What we saw was a guy who could actually deliver a great cha-cha with a little more preparation. It was cute seeing Witney guide him almost step by step through a lot of this, with Robert fractionally behind the beat because of it. His follow-through wasn’t always there, but he gave it his signature pop when he did know what he was doing. This was fun and silly but also inconsistent. Even Witney didn’t expect these judges’ scores, because she knows.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 8

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(Tango – “I Like It,” Alesso & Nate Smith) Jordan felt good about a tango during rehearsal. She said that what she’d be trying to do is follow Ezra’s lead, and she was trying. The footwork and actual moves got a lot sloppy at times during the tango steps but they still managed to paint some pretty pictures and create some dramatic moments. Was it clean? Not at all, but it was more fun than Ezra thought it was. Jordan is fierce in this style and brought all her dramatic strength to it.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(“Maneater,” Nelly Furtado / “Sports Car,” Tate McRae) Alix pointed out that they were the only couple who didn’t hug when they first met, indicative of her insecurity in herself. Through this journey, she’s coming to find who she is, with this dance celebrating the true self she’s just discovering. We absolutely loved the paso-inspired first half with Alix having incredible skirt/cape work throughout. She was definitely ferocious in this style and in all of her moves, but she lost something when we shifted songs, outfits, and she did her silhouette choreography with the ladies. It never fully recovered and we actually saw a moment where she just stood there and waited for Val in the tango-influenced back half … and we could see her waiting. Even if she was, we should never see it unless it’s part of some story. This one had us at the top but lost us somewhat by the end.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(“Something in the Heavens,” Lewis Capaldi) After Dylan has said he’s learned to fall in love with dance, Daniella’s vision for this piece was for her to represent dance, with Dylan simply being himself, falling for her/it. Once again, Daniella outdoes herself with an outstanding piece of storytelling, with Dylan stepping up even more than he has. This may be our favorite dance of the whole season, and we’d have never expected that from Dylan. It was the first of the night to really pull our emotions as he fought his way back to her in that closing dance sequence in the water. Chapter by chapter and verse by verse, this was a masterpiece.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 10

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(“I Hope I Get It,” District 78 (from A Chorus Line) One of the most clever pieces of storytelling dance, we adored how Elaine managed to incorporate her bestie Lisa Ann Watler, as well as Brandon Armstrong, Andy Richter, and so many other dancers into this piece about dance, taking us from audition to final performance. When Andy called for “bigger,” though, Elaine didn’t really give us that. In fact, she seemed nervous throughout in a way that we couldn’t tell if it was her character or if she really was struggling to show the confidence we know she’s gained throughout this journey. This is easily one of the most entertaining freestyles we’ve ever seen, but like Andy, we wanted Elaine to be a little bit “bigger.”

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 9

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(“Black and Gold,” Sam Sparro / “The Nights,” Avicii) A love letter to his journey and a thank you to his fans, there was so much infectious joy throughout this performance, we were both moved and smiling at the same time. Robert really has this incredible charismatic charm that just comes naturally off of him, and when you pair that with impeccable technique and showmanship, it creates magic. This was a magical routine, from Witney’s clever choreography right at the top to Robert keeping up with actual pro dancers throughout and all of the little moments. He really shined in this one and continues to show just how far he’s come.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 10

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(“Bow Down (Homecoming Live),” Beyonce / “Motivation,” Normani) 10 seasons later, Jordan dropped a huge surprise in a very fun, uptempo and extremely modern performance piece by bringing in her friend, and Season 24 second-runner up, Normani. It’s one thing to dance to her song, but to have her dance with you? Jordan knows how to create a moment. Props to Ezra for really stepping back on this one and letting Jordan’s style, swag and personality take a huge lead. She showed off her athleticism and delivered one of the more unique freestyles this show has seen, with hints and teases from previous dances and lots of great moments.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10

My Score: 10

What a wild night of wall-to-wall dances — more than we even expected to see as we were anticipating eliminations between rounds — with some truly showstopping, jawdropping routines. We laughed, we cried, we tried to figure out how they done did that. And then we wondered how on earth anyone could pick a winner?

Based on judges’ scores for just tonight, Alix Earle did have a perfect night, but the gap from top to bottom is literally four points, so Elaine Hendrix and Dylan Efron, toward the bottom, had just as much chance as anyone. And with a whole new generation tuning in with record numbers and votes, it really was anyone’s game.

Dylan Efron had one of the night’s most incredible dances, but also one of it’s weakest. Jordan Chiles has been transformative all season and she left it all out there by the close of this night. Everyone has a worthy story, so what do you do? Well, if you’re us, you have to make a guess as to how this thing would play out — and then watch as you turn out to be very wrong.

So our final predictions for this one? Dylan in fifth, Elaine in fourth, Alix third, Jordan second, and Robert replicating his sister’s win with his own Mirrorball trophy. But what did America do? For one, they continued to break records, more than doubling the votes from last season’s finale with more than 72 million votes just tonight.

5th Place: Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten, which may be in line with what the judges said tonight, but is not reflective of her incredible journey this season. She has had some incredible moments and we were hoping for more, but he is a testament that there is always time to live your dreams.

4th Place: Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach, and while we think Elaine had a stronger season than he did, we have to concede that his growth these past few weeks has been spectacular, and he really did deliver one of the season’s best dancest tonight — though a lot of that can be laid on Daniella’s choreography.

3rd Place: Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa, alas, faltered a bit at the finish line with the votes. Look, Jordan is an incredible athlete and performer and this has been one of the most delightful partnerships of the season, so it’s really a testament to how strong the competition has been, with Alix one of the best technical dancers we’ve seen and Robert being this popular powerhouse.

2nd Place: Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy won this season if it was based solely on technical dance prowess as she is just a stunning technician and hard worker. She is able to bring such precision to her dances, she tackles it like a true pro. The place she fell behind this season’s winner was in personality and showmanship. Alix came out of her shell a lot on this journey–

1st Place: Robert Irwin & Witney Carson, to finish our previous thought, earned this because Robert was never in his shell. He was so charismatic and delightfully charming and sweet and wholesome and all those things his father was and his sister is and his mother is, you want to root for him, to believe in him. Pair that with someone who actually grew and improved into one of the season’s best dancers, taking us along on his journey, and he exemplifies what this show is all about.

Dancing with the Stars returns next week for a holiday special at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.