Dancing with the Stars - Live Blog - ABC

Brooke is ecstatic and Derek is stunned as Tom Bergeron hands them the Mirror Ball.  As confetti rains down, well wishers rush out on the floor.  Derek's buddy Mark Ballas lifts him up on his shoulders and Corky Ballas hoists Brooke Burke up.  The new champions:  Brooke Burke and Derek Hough.

Well, that was a great season.  The largest cast ever, tons of drama and injuries, and a truly competetive semi-final and final round.  Brooke and Derek really do deserve the championship this season.

Thanks everybody for stopping by the Live Blog this season!  We appreciate your comments and your input.  Thanks for playing!  We'll see y'all next season.  Don't forget to stop by and say hi at my "regular" blog, Live from L.A. 

-Dave Campbell

The Mirror Ball has been dragged out on the floor.  Now is the time to reveal the champion of Dancing with the Stars Season 7.

"After ten weeks of competition, the winners and new champions of Dancing with the Stars are..."  [big pause}  "BROOKE AND DEREK!"

Brooke Burke and Derek Hough for the win!

Here's an annual tradition, where Tom interviews the contestants "and they ignore my questions and plug their latest projects."

Ted McGinley and Susan Lucci enjoyed their encore dances because the pressure was off.  Kim Kardashian works a plug in, good for her!  Maurice is about to give Tom the tangerine shirt off his back, but stops because he doesn't want all the ladies in the audience to go crazy.

We thank you, Maurice.

Hey, it's young and talented Miley Cyrus performing on a checkerboard flag motif stage.  Hey, she's rocking out.  I was not aware that Miley Cyrus rocked out.  The checkerboard dancers are pretty cool, I like their outfits.  But if the song is called "Fly on the Wall," shouldn't the dancers be dressed as flies?

OK, never mind.  That would be hideous.

I liked that song, she did great.  I'm not in the Miley Cyrus demographic but I salute her for rocking out.

One of the three couples is going home right now.  Brooke and Derek have a sizable lead from the judges, but it's going to take more than points, they'll need votes to survive...

Woah!  LANCE AND LACEY ARE GOING HOME!  I'm shocked, actually, I thought they would come in second.  They don't seem disappointed, they're very upbeat.  Lance is just happy to get to the Finals and Lacey is very proud of her partner.

Carrie Ann gives them a ten, Len gives them a ten, and... you guessed it, Bruno pumps his hand in the air and yells "TEN!"

Wow, 88 points out of 90 this week.

Now, the DWTS math geeks crunch the numbers.

Here's an encore of Brooke and Derek's Viennese Waltz.  This is a sweet routine, very elegant.

I like how they work in Brooke's daughters at the end, that speaks to me as a dad.  Extra points for sentimentality from me.  They get a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd and Brooke is overcome with emotion.

Carrie Ann tells Brooke that she is a star and has nothing but praise for Derek Hough.  Len still thinks this is the dance of the season.  Bruno calls Brooke "the jewel in the crown of this really grand finale."  The camera cuts to Brooke's husband, who is very emotional.

Here we go, the final scores for Lance and Lacey.

A nine from Carrie Ann, a nine from Len, and a TEN from Bruno!  81 out of 90 is their total combined judges' score this week.

OK, I have to be honest here, I think the judges are going easy on the dancers tonight.  I can see how they pulled in nines, but was that routine worth a ten?

Let's see if Lance Bass can pull in 28 points to beat Warren and Kym's total tonight as well as keeping his shoe on.

They're off to a good start; I love this routine.  Whoops, they messed up on a lift spin there in the middle of the routine.  Their final death-defying lift was a little off as well, but it was a good routine.  Kept the shoe on, too.

Bruno said their jitterbug was delivered with PANACHE!  Carrie Ann spotted that mess up on the lift, but said they really deserve to be here in the finals.  Len has nothing but kind words about how Lance has grown as a dancer.

Lance Bass and Lacey have had a rough go of it this season - they've been on the top of the scoreboard and at the very bottom.  Through it all, they've maintained their individuality and creative streak, even when it cost them points.  If you think about it, dancing hip hop last night was kind of a risky move...

Like Warren and Kym, Lance and Lacey have really bonded and are now buddies for life.  Next:  the final Jitterbug.

Kym is going to miss her "Twinkle Toe Teddy Bear."  I bet she's the only person who can call him that.

They rake in triple nines!  That brings their Final week score to 80 out of 90.  Will it be enough?

Before we see their final dance of the season, we look back at Warren & Kym's partnership.  They have a real affection and chemistry and have developed a bond over the season.  "I love you," Warren tells Kym.  "I absolutely love you,"  That's sweet.

OK, the love is there, but how they do with the hustle?  This is an encore repeat of the dance they previously totally nailed, and it looks like they're matching their performance tonight.  The robot!  Moonwalk!  All wrapped up with a spectacular lift.  Nice work.

The crowd goes crazy - how did the judges like it?

Len has nothing but praise for Warren's charisma on the floor.  Bruno thought it was irresistable.  Carrie Ann says Warren is inspiring and makes everyone want to get out there and dance.

A look at Lance Bass, who the judges describe as the "risk taker" and the rebel of the season.  He's the most improved dancer this season in their eyes.

Warren Sapp:  all the judges were amazed the this "300 lb giant" had such lightness of foot.  They all praise Warren's charisma and crowd appeal.

Len calls Brooke "the Hot Mama."  Carrie Ann says Brooke always rises to match Derek's tough choreography.  "Brooke's biggest strength is her technique and versatility," Bruno says.

"Cheer up."

Awesome, here's an encore of Cody and Julianne's jitterbuig.  I love this routine, it's fast and cute and has some terrific lifts.  It was definitely their best dance in the whole competition, and they really nailed it tonight.

Censors, get ready:  here's Jeffrey Ross.

He called Cloris and Corky's routine "Weekend at Bernie's: The Musical."  He says her score should have been 9-1-1.  You can hear Bruno roaring with laughter in the background.

 "What can be said about Lance Bass that hasn't been said about Clay Aiken?"  Ouch.  Warren started the roast looking a little leery but he warmed up and started laughing.  That's good for Jeffrey, I wouldn't want Warren annoyed with me.

Final words for the finalists:  "Remember, compared to me you're all winners."

Cody danced with his substitute partner Edyta, but failed to wow the judges.  The team dance was a disaster  for Team Cha Cha and a triumph for Team Paso Doble.  Cody went airborne on to the judges' table! 

Fastest Man Alive Maurice Green returns with his partner Cheryl Burke for a muy caliente salsa.  They look like they've been practicing for this one, too. 

Both Maurice and Cheryl are featured performers on the Dancing with the Stars Live Tour this year - I assume they'll dance together.

The Queen of Daytime Susan Lucci trots out on the floor for a sensual paso doble with the King of Gleaming Chests, Tony Dovolani.  They're doing really good, they've clearly practiced for this one.  That was competition quality, and they rightfully get a standing ovation.

Here's the couple known as "Clorky" dancing the tango.  I admire Cloris' moxie and I think Corky did the best job he possibly could have and deserves a lot of -- hey, did he just grab her butt?  What was I saying?  Oh - right.  Corky deserves a lot of credit. 

Their encore got a Standing O.

Afterwards, Samantha asks Cloris what her Dancing experience compared to.  "Childbirth," Cloris says.

Tom says, "Well, at least you delivered."

That Tom, he is quick.

There have been 106 competitive dances this season.  Little trivia for you.

The group hip hop routine was a mixed bag.  Michael "Lord of the Dance" Flatley sat in as guest judge.  Lance Bass got back on target.  Julianne Hough went into the hospital for an appendectomy!  Cloris Leachman was eliminated from the competition!

Master chef Rocco DiSpirito is back to dance the mambo with Karina Smirnoff once again.  He's a little bit stiff, but at least he's not wearing that red shirt with the big frilly sleeves tonight, that was a good choice. 

Coming up:  Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Ross.

Here's week 3 and 4 in a nutshell:  Brooke scored the first 10 of the season.  Misty May dropped out of the competition with an injury.  Bruno growled like a tiger!  Rocco took some hits for not moving those hips.  Cloris hung in there.

Mist May Treanor and her partner Maksim are back.  She's had her surgery and has recuperated from her ankle injury and now she can walk around.  Maksim and Misty are very diplomatic and won't pick favorites.

Dancing to "Baby Got Back," here are Kim Kardashian and Mark Ballas once again.  I love watching Mark dance - he seems to be doing most of the dancing in this routine, actually...

Ted McGinley in the house!  He's a walking, one-man party, that Ted.

I actually wish Ted had lasted a little longer in the competition, he seems like a quality guy with a good attitude.  Plus, we didn't hardly get to see new dancer Ina Brayer at all.  Oh well, it was nice to see them dance again.

Here's a look back at the highlights of Season 7.  Cloris' cleavage!  Jeff Ross' eye injury!  Len picking on Lancey!  Len mocking Bruno! 

And now, a stroll way down memory lane with Jeffrey Ross and Edyta Sliwinska dancing a quick step.  After so many weeks of competition it's easy to forget about the folks that were eliminated early in the season. 

Hey, Jeff Ross did pretty good! 

Samantha looks like a Greek goddess tonight in her shiny, form fitting gold dress.  No necklace, just dangly golden disc earrings.  I think she looks fantastic, I give her a solid A score.  What do you think?

Ever since she was eliminated, Cloris has been camping out in a cardboard box outside the studio.  Poor, despondent Cloris!  OK, not really. 

Cloris grabs a microphone and interview the Man on the Street, asking who they're going to vote for on the show.  Sadly, nobody is voting for her anymore...  :(   It was nice to see Cloris again.

We take a look at last night's canary yellow Samba Smackdown, where each couple had a solo spin on the floor. 

Then, each couple got to perform a freestyle routine.  Brooke and Derek's Grease-inspired freestyle earned a perfect 30 score.  Lance and Lacey busted a move to Run DMC.  Warren and Kym performed a series of incredible, crowd-pleasing lifts in a routine that earned a 10 score from Len - more precious than gold.

It begins now:  the final episode of Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars. 

Tonight, our remaining three couples will dance for judges' scores one final time.  The scores they receive tonight will be added to their scores from last night, and the combined judges' score will equal half of the total score this week.  The other half of the total combined score is composed of viewer votes.  Does that make sense?  I'm reading what I just wrote and now I'm confused...

Anyway, here we go.  Live: The Finale!

Their fate is in your hands, ladies and gentlemen. 

Brooke and Derek are in first place with 58 out of 60.  Warren and Lance are tied with 53 out of 60.

The couples will dance one more time tomorrow night during the Results Show for judge's points, but they'll need your votes now.  Tonight!

So who ya got?  I still think Brooke and Derek have the advantage.  Who's taking home the Mirror Ball?

Warren's sweet - he says he's found a friend for life in Kym.  Aww.

Carrie Ann gives them a 9, Bruno gives them a 9, and Len says:  "For entertainment!"  and gives them a TEN.  I never thought I'd see it.

Last week, Warren Sapp matched Brooke's score for the first time.  This week, Warren and Kym have loaded their Freestyle with content and lots and lots of lifts.  Warren's goal:  a perfect score.

I like their costumes, red and black.  They start right off the bat with some lifts as they dance to "Proud Mary."  The song starts kind of smooth but then goes into Ike and Tina zone and the temp picks up.  Another costume change!  Now they're in matching shiny silver.  Wow, they just pulled off an amazing lift that looked like it had no room for error.  Big finish - they end with a spectacular lift! 

Standing O!

Len says, "As an entertainer, you have no one that touches you."  Bruno says, "With you, all resistance is futile!  Just sit back and ENJOY THE RIDE!"  Carrie Ann loved it, but she spotted a mistake during their unison hand roll move.  That'll cost them a point, I bet.

Triple nines!  I thought Carrie Ann would give them an 8, but no.  27 out of 30 is a great score, it keeps them right up there with Brooke and Derek.  They can't survive without votes, so... vote!

Before watching Brooke and Derek, I would say that Lance and Lacey had the advantage going into the Freestyle Round.  Now - they're going to have to match perfection.  No pressure:  just dance perfectly.

Fortunately, Lance has a newfound confidence and the full support of his partner.  "He has the showmanship of Warren and the technique of Brooke, with a little something extra,"  Lacey says.

Wearing matching "Lancey" shirts the couple launch into a hip hop routine to Run DMC's "Tricky."  Great unison dancing, lots of crazy tricks.  What was that centipede move they did on the floor?  That was nuts.  They're really engaging the crowd - they even pop off Lance's shoe at the end.  Nice, that was a fun number.

Did the judges like it? 

Carrie Ann loved the beginning and end, but she thought there was one Cha Cha section in the middle that threw her off.  Len throws a hip hop sign, proving that he's not a big fuddy duddy.  He liked it!  He really liked it.  Bruno thought they infused their dance with "creativity and wit."

This is going to be good.

Ten, ten, TEN!  Fantastic.  Len even yells "Ten!" he's so excited. 

You can't do better than that.  Talk about setting the bar high.

Last week, Brooke choked on her Jive and was knocked out of first place.  This week, they have to pull out the stops and try some dangerous lifts.  Derek has a bad back, so they've done some prep work in the low impact environment of the Burke family pool.

Here we go, they're doing a Grease inspired number to "You're the One That I Want."  Wow, lots of lifts and spins.  They even do a mid-routine costume change and dance on the judges' table.  Brooke dismounts from the table with a HUGE leap into his arms.  They follow up with a crazy linked rolling maneuver, some great unison work, and another amazing lift.

Standing O!

Bruno is ecstatic.  "It is beyond belief!  One of the best freestyles I've ever seen!"  Then, because he's Bruno:  "You ended up in positions that I've only seen in the Kama Sutra!"  Carrie Ann thought they "brought it."  Len is happy that he got to speak last because he's all hot and bothered.  "That is the best freestyle I have EVER seen."

Amazing, just amazing.

I love Samantha's dress tonight.  She's rockin' a classic strapless black gown and is accessorizing with a thick diamond necklace and pendant earrings.  I'm less enthusiastic about her hair, which is... how would you describe that?  It's swept back and poofed out.  Severe on top, wild in the back.  I give her a solid "A" tonight.

What do you guys think?

The judges are all over the place tonight.  Carrie Ann and Bruno give them a 9.  Len only gives them a 7.  Hmph, that seems a little low.

Tom says, "I bet two of our couples wish that Len had nipped off to the bathroom."

OK, let's see how the L&L Dance Machine did with the judges.  Can they top 28?

Carrie Ann: 9

Len:  8

Bruno:  9

26 out of 30, a few points behind Brooke and Derek.  They'll need votes votes votes.

Carrie Ann gives them a 9.  Len hands down a 9, as well.  Bruno, still deeply aroused, gives Brooke and Derek a TEN.

28 out of 30.  Great score.

The dancers rush out of the room to change.  Hurry hurry hurry!

Len has a kind word for the band.  He thought they all did better on the group samba than they did solo.  Len thinks Brooke is still the one to beat

Bruno says Brooke is a "Dazzling, sexy sizzler of a dancer.  Everyone would like to drive that model!"  Jeez, Bruno.  Family show.  Lance is a leading man in Bruno's eyes, and Warren has such a sense of fun that it overshadows his technical deficiencies.

Carrie Ann thinks Warren is the most improved by far.  Lance needs to bring his chin down a little.  Brooke brings technical nuance to the dance but she thought their choreography was a little overly ambitious.

Brooke and Derek hit the floor first, dancing with their usual energy and precision.  Nice spin from Derek, some great unison hip motion.  Nice.

Lance and Lacey are next.  They look great, Lance's posture is excellent.  They spin offstage and end their routine with a split.

Here comes Warren and Kym.  Nice, Warren goes for a handstand to kick things off.  Kym looks like a beautiful bird.  Some body rolls, nice touch.

All three couples unite for the finale.  They huddle together and spin like a big yellow carousel, with the women going airborne.  Fantastic ending.

The three couples have prepared and tweaked their routines. 

In addition to group dancing, each couple will have a solo spin.  Warren and Kym are going for technical perfection.  Brooke and Derek are all about hips, hips, hips.  Lance and Lacey have some tricks up their sleeves. 

We'll see who comes out on top...

The Finals kick off properly with some smack talk from the Finalists.

Warren gets the best lines:  "Samba la vista, baby!"  Warren says.  "Lance Bass, I can't believe you even stepped in this arena, son."

Our three couples descend the stairs in canary yellow, dressed for the upcoming Samba Smackdown, where they will have to dance side by side on the floor. 

Plus!  The fantastic Freestyle, where anything goes.

"I'm so excited, Tom, that I have to nip off to the bathroom,"  Len says.  Oversharing.

The champions in the Ballroom Kids competition, brother and sister Craig and Samantha hit the floor for a sure-footed Jive to "Rockin' Robin." 

I'm always blown away by how well the kids do - all of them.  Craig and Samantha receive a mini version of the coveted Mirror Ball trophy - OK, they're going to get two of them so they don't have to fight over whose room the trophy goes in.

Kym thinks Warren should win because "he's what the competition is all about."  Meaning, take somebody with zero dance background and turn them into a ballroom dancer.

Warren had the most second place finishes.

Popular with the crowds.

Number of 10's:  3

Average score:  24.00

The Viennese Waltz was their strongest ballroom dance, Warren & Kym say.  I agree with that.  It definitely wasn't their best costumes of the season, though.  I can't get over that raisin color outfit Warren was wearing.

Speaking of cool costumes, their favorite Latin dance:  their black leather paso doble.  They sure looked cool - plus, their routine ends with a (slightly botched) Death From Above maneuver.

"Lance deserves to win because he is the most improved,"  Lacey says.  She forgot to add,  "He deserves to win because HE'S LANCE BASS."

Two 1st place wins (the only dancer to beat Brooke)

Number of 10's:  3

Biggest lead ever going into the Finals

Only contestant to train as astronaut

Season average:  24.25

For their favorite Ballroom routine, Lance and Lacey pick their cool gothic marionette tango.  I love that dance.

Their choice for best Latin dance, their smash hit mambo.  I love Lacey's dress during the mambo.