DWTS crowns a winner for Season 18

It was a competitive season on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Who came out on top for Season 18?

It was a season to remember on Dancing With the Stars with unexpected early exits from favorites like Danica McKellar and Charlie White to surprise finalists like Candace Cameron Bure. On Tuesday night, a winner for Season 18 was crowned. Who went home with that mirror ball trophy?

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and his partner Olympic gold medalist Meryl Davis were the big winners on the ABC dance show. The couple were pretty much untouchable when it came to technique, scores and fan votes for most of the season. The win is a first for the pro dancer who came close with former Spice Girl Mel B. in Season 5, but they wound up finishing second to Indy 500 driver Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough.

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For fans, the duo are also a favorite because of their undeniable chemistry both on and off the dance floor. Chmerkovskiy and Davis’ affection for each other led to a lot of speculation about their dating status. Are they best friends or perhaps a bit more?

Coming in second place is Paralympian Amy Purdy, who was paired with Emmy-winning choreographer Derek Hough. Her inspirational season made many forget the athlete wears prosthetic legs to dance. She won many viewers’ hearts by proving that anything is possible.

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In third place was Candace Cameron Bure, who often struggled to remember choreography, but she proved to be a formidable competitor when it came to her personality and spunk. The former Full House star was matched up with pro and SheKnows blogger Mark Ballas this season. Ballas suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday that was clearly bugging him on Monday night. However, he powered through the dances so Bure could have the finale she worked so hard for.

The competition show will be back in the fall for Season 19. ABC announced the series’ renewal in early May.