Osmond Wins "Dancing with the Stars"

(AP)  Donny Osmond was declared the new champion of "Dancing with Stars" on Tuesday night, taking home the show's mirror ball trophy in the season finale of the ABC contest reality program.

Osmond, the former teen pop star of the singing Osmond family, said the show has been a highlight in a career of ups and downs.

"I did it!" Osmond exclaimed. He promptly rushed to the audience and plucked out his wife, Debbie, whom he carried across the stage.

Highlights of Past Seasons
Photos: "Dancing With The Stars"

Helping push Osmond over the top was his performance Tuesday: an Argentine tango, performed with his professional dancing partner, Kym Johnson. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba hailed it as "artistry in motion." It earned the top score of the final performances Tuesday.

Three celebrities made it to finale of the show's ninth season: Osmond, the singer Mya and Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of Ozzy Osbourne. The show picks a winner with a combination of judges' scores and viewer votes.

Mya entered as the favorite, having won the highest scores on Monday's show. Dancing with Dmitry Chaplin, she performed a jive.

"I'm just so happy to have made it to the finals," Mya said after the loss.

The 30-year-old singer is most famous for collaborating on the Grammy-winning hit "Lady Marmalade" from the soundtrack of 2001's "Moulin Rouge!"

Osbourne was the first of the three eliminated.

With her famous family - Ozzy, Sharon and Jack - looking on, Osbourne and professional partner Louis Van Amstel danced to a cover of Ray LaMontagne's "Trouble." The 25-year-old was clearly moved and began crying after her last dance.

She thanked the audience and said she had "grown so much" during the show. Co-host Samantha Harris said Osbourne had become "a swan."

The finale culminated a season of good ratings for "Dancing with the Stars," which consistently ranked as one of the most-watched shows of the fall.

The contestant who grabbed the most headlines, former Congressman Tom DeLay, had to withdraw in the third week of competition because of stress fractures in both feet. A healed DeLay returned Tuesday night to dance the Texas two-step routine he had hoped to perform.

All the former contestants returned, including former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin. Waltzing to the theme of "Monday Night Football," he performed a dance-off with another NFL receiving great: Jerry Rice, a contestant on the second season of "Dancing With the Stars." The judges declared Rice the winner.

Pop singer Aaron Carter, voted off this season, performed a dance to the theme of "The Muppet Show." Animal took the drums, while Miss Piggy lurked backstage.

Mistakes on the dance floor weren't the only missteps of ABC's live broadcast. At the top of the show, as highlights from Monday's show ran, the video froze on shot of Miss Piggy, prompting host Tom Bergeron to remind viewers that the broadcast was live - and send the show to an early commercial break.

Whitney Houston also made a guest appearance to perform her "Million Dollar Bill" and the fitting "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."

The gymnast Shawn Johnson won last season's "Dancing with the Stars."

ABC can expect high ratings for Tuesday's finale. Last week's results show attracted an audience of 16.2 million.

[california64]

julianne hough is a mormon and won 2 years in a row. now, with derek, her brother, in competition, we see him win last year. now, an osmond wins. gotta admit, it looks suspicious. btw, isn't that religion supposed to be pretty straightlaced? julianne hough and derek hough dance some pretty raunchy moves...

[Dunestrider]

Mormons vote as a bloc. With Derek (another Mormon) out of the way, Donny was a sure bet.

[nirak2-2009]

Mya and her partner got robbed by 13 million Mormons!!!!
No sane person would believe that Donny was better than Mya
This is the end for me ever watching the show even so I enjoy it.
A more fair voting system is in ORDER

[erasmus111]

You're right. Mya was better than Donny. I am happy for Donny, but Mya was better.

The whole voting system is screwed up. The judges should be the ones making the final decision. The public is too stupid. To them it is a poplularity contest. They aren't voting for who the best dancer is, they are voting for their favorite person. Or if there is an underdog, they will vote for them.

The whole thing isn't fair, really. Mya has dance experience and so does Donny. Of course it doesn't compare to what they have to do on Dancing with the Stars, but it sure makes it a lot easier when you know how to "move", and are used to moving. It should only be for people with no "experience" in dancing.

[erasmus111]

oops,"poplularity" should be "popularity"

[sonofsummarex]

I noticed he couldn't contain himself and just as the award was about to be given to him, he had to run over to congratulate the other celebrity contestant and give her a huge. But he compleatly ignored her dancing partner. Not even a handshake! That sez a lot nabout the guy, none of it good. Darned shame too since he was one of the few celebrities I liked.

[kodiak8881]

With almost 13 million Mormon's available to call in support for Donny, my guess is he got lots of help from that corner of the world as well as people who have followed his career for many years.

[kodiak8881]

This competition wasn't a traditional "Dance" competition. The goal of the show (besides ratings) is to take normal "non-dancing" people (albeit they are suppose to have some fame) and turn them in to dancers. That is exactly what happened with Donny. The oldest, and obviously not the most seasoned dancer, turned from a Ugly Duckling into a Swan in 8 weeks. He DESERVED the trophy!

[ampsanne]

I don't watch this show and could care less. Sorry I don't "dig" the dancing or the scantly clothes on the women. Call me old fashioned if you like. I rather see the tradional ball room dancing.

[kodiak09]

Than why bother commenting?

[TheEnergyDoctor]

In this show it should be designated who is the
Star and who is the Nobody.

We need to deteremine who is Dancing with the Star
-or- Who is the Star Dancing with ? and . . . who is
Donny Osmond ?

[rondivoo]

Hee-Hee! .... I agree wholeheartedly. ... WHO ... is the star? And, let's point out that the 'star' is definitely a 'fallen star' ... I can't believe people watch this mess. The real dancers teach a has-been or never-quite-got-there how to grapple and fall around in a short routine of ridiculously over-dramatic and grotesque moves that lasts less than a minute. Oh, oh, where has TV gone????

[weewillywonka]

Every resident of Utah must have voted for him - because he wasn't the best dancer.