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Hines Ward has been crowned Dancing With The Stars champion.
The football star added a disco-ball trophy to his Super Bowl shelf after he sambaed his way to victory on Tuesday night, beating actresses Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said after Hines and professional partner Kym Johnson finished their last dance: "You learned how to lead the dancing, not only in the dance, but you led your partner out of injury. You dance with heart and it shows."
Hines said after the US show: "The competition has been so close all year, we knew it was going to come down to voting," he said, "so we want to thank our fans."
Hines was chosen by viewer votes combined with judges' scores. All three couples emerged with perfect scores after dancing on Tuesday night, which kept the competition tight.
Hines came into the season finale tied for first place with Chelsea, who finished in last place when the votes were tallied. Kirstie finished second.
Kirstie was a fan favourite all season, whittling down her body with the daily dance exercise. She was also one of the most amusing contestants on the ballroom floor, losing her shoes during one performance and always getting through her challenges with a smile and a quip.
On the final show, Kirstie wore the same dress she had worn on day one of the competition - nipped and tucked by 38 inches.
"I'm just going to miss dancing with Maks," she said of her partner.
Chelsea, who waltzed to the theme from Harry Potter with professional partner Mark Ballas, was the first to be eliminated on Tuesday. But she wasn't too upset, saying: "The fact that I'm here (in the finals) is super flattering. For me, I'll never experience anything like this ever again."
