On Nov. 26, The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei and his professional dance partner Jenna Johnson took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy and the title of Dancing With The Stars’ Season 33 Champions. Graziadei, the first-ever ‘Bachelor’ to win the show, was near the top of the leaderboard for the entire 10-week run. Here’s a recap of his time in the ballroom.
- Episode one: “Premiere”
-
Graziadei and Johnson were the first couple of the night and performed a Cha Cha to “Dancin’ in the Country” by Tyler Hubbard. The judges’ comments were unanimous — for a week one dance, he did great. Judge Derek Hough, professional dancer and six-time Mirrorball winner, told Graziadei he should “finesse the beat” and “work on [his] arms.” Judge Bruno Tonioli, a choreographer known for his vibrant and outgoing personality and comments, referred to Graziadei as a “natural performer.” He noted that Graziadei needed to “work on [his] hip action,” which is a vital part of Latin dances. Rounding out the judge’s panel is dancer, choreographer, and TV host Carrie Ann Inaba. She commended his confidence, charisma, and showmanship. Their score for the night came to 21 out of 30.
- EPISODE TWO: “OSCARS NIGHT”
-
Week two required the dancers to perform songs from famous films. Johnson and Graziadei completed a Rumba to “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from the film A Star is Born. In rehearsals, Graziadei struggled to tap into the sensuality and connection that a Rumba requires, but the pair delivered a beautiful performance, which helped them maintain their spot at second on the leaderboard. Hough called him a “leading man.” Tonioli applauded Graziadei’s performance while reminding him to work on his hip movements. Inaba focused on his use of momentum, calling him “mesmerizing.” The combined judges’ score led to 22 out of 30.
- EPISODE THREE: “SOUL TRAIN NIGHT”
-
“Soul Train Night” honored the culture and music that came out of the American television show. Graziadei and Johnson danced an energetic and exciting Jive to the iconic “Shout” by The Isley Brothers, with Johnson’s choreography as dynamic as the song. Tonioli commended Graziadei’s musicality, Inaba once again had nothing but compliments for the Bachelor, and Hough spoke highly of the amount of content in the dance, which was a compliment to both Johnson’s choreography and Graziadei’s execution. The guest judge of the night was Rosie Perez, a featured dancer in the episode, who told the couple that the dance “embodied the spirit of “Soul Train.” The couple received their first nines, coming from Inaba and Perez, and received eights from Tonioli and Hough, adding to a total of 34 out of 40.
- EPISODE FOUR: “HAIR METAL NIGHT”
-
The following night was “Hair Metal Night” with guest judge Gene Simmons of KISS. This week, and, more specifically, the guest judge, was incredibly controversial, but the couple still did well. They closed the night with a powerful Tango to “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions. Hough called the dance “one of the best tangos [he’s] seen from a male celebrity ever.” Tonioli praised Johnson’s choreography, deeming it “100% authentic,” and called Graziadei the “leader of the pack.” With all nines, the total score was 36 out of 40.
- EPISODE FIVE: “DEDICATION NIGHT”
-
“Dedication Night” on Dancing with the Stars is always powerful, as celebrities get to honor the people who mean the world to them. Graziadei chose to dedicate his performance to his fiancée Kelsey Anderson, who he met on his season of The Bachelor. Graziadei and Johnson’s routine was a Viennese Waltz to Teddy Swims’ Viennese Waltz. Co-host and Season-19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro called the dance “powerful” and “strong,” and Tonioli said it “exceeded his expectations.” Inaba gave him high praises but also told him he needed to be smoother, which Hough immediately disagreed with, rather commending Graziadei for his effortlessness. The guest judge of the night was three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas, who simply applauded his performance and his musicality. The duo’s score for the night was another 36 out of 40.
- EPISODE SIX: “DISNEY NIGHT”
-
“Disney Night” was the first two-event night of the season. The first half of the night follows the couples performing their Disney-themed dances. For Graziadei and Johnson, this was a Samba to “Trashin’ the Camp” from Tarzan. Tonioli called the samba the hardest dance to perform but praised Graziadei’s execution. His note was to work on his bounce, which is an integral part of the samba. Inaba seconded Tonioli’s comment and added that his steps are too large, which throws off his proportions. Finally, Hough saluted Johnson’s choreography and teaching but advised Graziadei to be more fluid in his arm movements. Other than that, Hough acknowledged Graziadei as a “top contender” with only three more episodes before the finale. They scored 25 out of 30.
The contestants returned to the ballroom to participate in a team dance competition. Graziadei and Johnson were part of ‘Team Goofs’ with Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher as team captain with her partner Alan Bersten, actress Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong, and The Bachelorette star Jenn Tran with her partner Sasha Farber. The high-energy, energetic dance to “I2I” from A Goofy Movie scored 27 out of 30.
- EPISODE SEVEN: “Halloween nightmares”
-
Graziadei and Johnson performed an Argentine Tango to “Ramalama (Bang Bang)” by Róisín Murphy. This night was based on the celebrities’ nightmares and biggest fears; for Graziadei, that is ventriloquist dolls. Their number featured Johnson as the doll and Graziadei as the puppet master. Hough called Graziadei fantastic but noted that some of the lifts “felt unstable.” Tonioli said he was “hypnotized” by the dance and applauded the way the story was woven into the choreography. Inaba commended his consistency. In the end, they scored 29 out of 30, with Hough providing the only nine.
The night also included a dance-off in which the couple competed a jive against former NL wide receiver Danny Amendola and his pro Witney Carson. The two teams danced to “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” It was close, but the judges ultimately chose Graziadei and Johnson and the challenge winners.
- EPISODE EIGHT: “500th EPISODE”
-
On Nov. 12, the show celebrated its 500th episode. In honor of this, the duos competed numbers to the same song and in the same style as some of the iconic dances from the past seasons. Graziadei and Johnson paid homage to Riker Lynch and Allison Holker’s contemporary routine to “Work Song” by Hozier. Tonioli and Hough had nothing but praise for the couple. On the other hand, Inaba claimed Graziadei’s performance “lacked a bit of rawness,” especially in comparison to the original performance. Their total was 28 out of 30.
This episode also included an “Instant Dance” challenge. The challenge required the couples to randomly draw a dance style with only five minutes to change and prepare a routine in that style. Graziadei drew a rumba to Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.” The couple had a few issues, which was a given due to the lack of time to prepare, but they still did well overall and received nines from all three judges.
- EPISODE NINE: “SEMI-FINALS”
-
To see what each celebrity has to offer before they enter the finale, the duos performed two routines. The first of Graziadei and Johnson’s dances was a foxtrot to Erin Boheme’s “I Won’t Dance,” featuring District 78. The judges’ comments were of the highest regard. Hough said that the legendary Fred Astaire “is high-fiving [Graziadei]” and that his frame was “pristine.” Tonioli called the routine a “Golden-Age Hollywood classic,” giving all the credit to Johnson and her choreography. Inaba was briefly speechless. The couple received their first perfect score of the season for this dance.
Their second dance was a paso doble to “Come Together” by Lennon and McCartney. There were some slight timing issues, but other than that, the judges called it precise, deliberate, and crisp. Their score for the routine was 28 out of 30.
- EPISODE TEN: “FINALE”
-
The finale of the show also requires two dances to be performed. The first of these is a ‘redemption’ dance. One of the judges chooses a style for the couple to revisit, and this season, Hough requested for the duo to revisit the cha-cha to redeem themselves from week one. This time, they danced to “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!” by Justin Timberlake and, based on the judges’ comments, Graziadei definitely redeemed himself. Tonioli even said that they “danced like two pros.” This led to them scoring a 30 out of 30.
The most exciting part of Dancing with the Stars finales is the freestyle. There is no set style, song, or rules. Graziadei and Johnson decided to use their freestyle to honor his roots as a tennis coach. The number was set to District 78 and Jake Simpson’s version of “Canned Heat.” While Inaba felt the routine was underwhelming, Tonioli and Hough applauded both him and Johnson’s consistently “innovative” choreography. Their total score was 29 out of 30.
While Graziadei and Johnson may not have been first on the leaderboard throughout the competition, they consistently came out with exciting and well-executed routines. That, combined with a large fanbase, led them to be crowned the Season 33 Champions of Dancing with the Stars!