As Gold Derby’s official odds predicted, “The Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown won the Mirror Ball Trophy on November 25 at the end of the season 28 finale right after getting her first ever perfect score for her freestyle routine (watch it below). But how does Brown compare to the Mirror Ball champs who came before her? Refresh you memory by looking through our gallery of all 28 winners above, and then vote in our poll at the bottom of this post.
Brown’s victory makes her the first “Bachelorette” ever to win the Mirror Ball, but the second from the “Bachelor” extended universe, following Melissa Rycroft, who finished third in season eight before coming back to triumph in the all-star edition in season 15. Rycroft won season 13 of “The Bachelor,” but her suitor, Jason Mesnick, broke off their engagement to marry that season’s runner-up. Brown also had a heartbreak before her “DWTS” victory: she chose Jed Wyatt to marry, but later dumped him after it was revealed that he was in a relationship when he joined the show.
She had a somewhat rocky road on “DWTS” too, though even the worst judges’ critiques probably didn’t sting as bad as her fiance’s betrayal. Though she was an early standout for her technique, the judges started criticizing her for lacking an emotional connection to her routines. They wanted the former Miss Alabama to break out of pageant mode and show more vulnerability on the dance floor.
They were satisfied with her freestyle, though, which brought her her first and only perfect score of the season. She had gotten 10s from Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli before that, but never from Len Goodman. However, Goodman made good this time, finally raising that elusive 10 paddle for her before her Mirror Ball Trophy win over runner-up Kel Mitchell, third-place finisher Ally Brooke and fourth-place Lauren Alaina.
So did she deserve her victory? And is she the best winner of all time? Watch her freestyle and vote below.
