DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 14 Recap: Touchdown for Donald Driver as he wins the Mirror Ball

By PAMELA HARLAND / Contributing Editor

Posted: May 23rd, 2012 / 10:17 AM

Donal Driver and Peta Murgatroyd win DANCING WITH THE STARS - Season 14 | ©2012 ABC/Adam Taylor

Stars: Donald Driver, Katherine Jenkins, William Levy
Network: ABC, airs Mondays, Tuesdays
Original Telecast: May 22nd, 2012

The footballer takes it all! Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd are DANCING WITH THE STARS: Season 14 champs! Wow! OMG! You’re kidding, right? Never before have I been so surprised about the winner of DWTS than I was tonight. Not that Driver & Murgatroyd didn’t deserve it. He rocked the house last night and tonight, but he didn’t always impress. Still, it was a well-deserved win. I just had my money on William Levy & Cheryl Burke to take it all. I would have even bet Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas would have taken it before I would have said Driver & Murgatroyd would. But there you have it, with judges’ scores so close the fans decided this one and they wanted a Green Bay Packer! However, before any trophy was handed over there was a show of all shows to see!

As in the past few DWTS season finales the show opened with the pros firing up the audience and then grabbing their prospective partners for a nostalgic walk on the dance floor and a bow. A recap of the most exciting DWTS night ever was followed by the encore chosen by the judges, which was to no surprise Driver & Murgatroyd’s freestyle. Then, we heard from the judges on the three finalist’s strengths and weaknesses before all three duos made their grand entrance to the dance floor.

One of the most fun contestants ever, Sherri Shepherd, danced her heart out with six…count them…six male dancers including Maks Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani and her original partner Val Chmerkovskiy.

A rewind of season 14 reminded us of how exceptional this season has been from the get go. Some duos were getting 8s and 9s from day one. Never has that happened before in previous seasons.

Next up, Martina Navratilova & Dovolani, along with Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunskaya, did a little dance diddy. A video of memorable quotes, which is always great, was seen before Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff, along with three other female dancers, delighted us on the dance floor again. He looked like he was sleep walking throughout the number, but he looked happy!

Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus grooved a bit before Jaleel White & Kym Johnson took to the dance floor in a number reminiscent of the film SHAFT. Only, poor White couldn’t lift Johnson so his high moment quickly became a low one.

Melissa Gilbert came back and did her Chmerkovskiy sandwich number before Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower wowed everyone with a freestyle dance they never had the opportunity to do during the competition.

We were treated to a performance by returning favorite singer Kelly Clarkson and then part three of the season 14 recap. Maria Menounos & Derek Hough performing a judges’ favorite preceded the last dances of all three couples.

First up was Levy & Burke who nailed a Salsa receiving a perfect 30 from the judges. Jenkins & Ballas also impressed with a Jive that the judges rewarded them with a perfect 30. Driver & Murgatroyd stepped out third with a Cha Cha Cha that dazzled the critics giving them another perfect score of 30.

Gladys Knight sang The Way We Were, a lovely tribute to the last three couples standing. Knight had nearly the whole house in tears.

Then…dun dun dun…shockingly we were told that hunky Levy & Burke were in third place! What!? You’re kidding!?

Soon, it was clear. No one cold beat the footballer. Jenkins & Ballas placed second while a jumping out of his skin Driver & Murgatroyd won it all, becoming the champions of season 14. Bravo to Driver & Murgatroyd. See you in the fall for season 15!

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Related Link: DANCING WITH THE STARS Season 14 Recap: Katherine Jenkins gets a perfect show as the Finals proves to be a tight race

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