'Dancing With the Stars' Season 23: Laurie Hernandez Wins Mirrorball Trophy, Did She Deserve It? [POLL, VIDEO]
Laurie Hernandez won Dancing With the Stars Tuesday night, defeating tough competition to win the coveted Mirrorball trophy!
Hernandez became the youngest celebrity in the history of Dancing With the Stars to win the Mirrorball trophy at just 16 years old. Her win also gave her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, his second victory on the show. The dynamic duo beat runners-up James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess and third placers Calvin Johnson Jr. and Lindsay Arnold.
"It felt amazing," Laurie admitted to E! News, shortly after her victory. "We were able to go through this journey of 11 weeks together. I feel like because of this show I've really sprouted and matured as a person. It's been such an amazing roller-coaster experience. I wouldn't give it up for the world."
Chmerkovskiy seemed just as pleased, admitting that their win was "awesome," adding, "It's absolutely unparalleled how fulfilling it is to work with a young girl like that, see her blossom...and grow and ultimately come out triumphant."
As for what she will do next, she has the Dancing With the Stars tour to prepare for, admitting that she's found a real love for dancing now.
"I realized because of this show how much I love to dance...I'm glad I'm able to go out and keep on dancing," she said. "It's a passion of mine."
Meanwhile, some DWTS fans were disappointed that Hinchcliffe and Burgess did not take home the Mirrorball trophy. The season was a real back-and-forth between Hernandez and Hinchcliffe as far as frontrunner status, with judge Julianne Hough stating that the IndyCar driver was the best male dancer in 23 seasons of the show.
Do you think Hernandez deserved to win? Vote in our poll below.
Dancing With the Stars will return for season 24 in the spring.
