Maksim Chmerkovskiy has won his first mirror ball trophy, as he and partner Meryl Davis were declared the winners of the 18th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night.
The dancing duo edged out runners up Derek Hough and Amy Purdy, who would’ve been the first paralympian winner of the show.
Chmerkovskiy and the Olympic gold medalist, 27, have been front runners from the beginning. Their undeniable chemistry on the ballroom floor also has viewers wondering if they’re an off-screen couple.
Davis told Us Weekly because of all that you got through on the show, “when the cameras stop rolling, I think that's why many of the relationships you form on the show keep going on long after the season's over."
While Hough has five mirror ball trophies on his belt, this is the first time in ten seasons Chmerkovskiy has taken home the coveted trophy. "I'm not as beside myself as I thought I would be because I'm incapable of accepting gifts or awards - we just have these dumbfounded looks on our faces, and she's a fellow Capricorn, she knows what I'm saying - I'm just thinking about the fact that this isn't our finish line," he said, noting Purdy deserved the award.
Check out our full recap of the season finale of Dancing with the Stars.