DwtS 7: Finale

She earned the highest scores, again -- as she had for most of the season. But did the at-home voters give Brooke Burke enough support to earn her the Dancing with the Stars 7 trophy?

(Hint: Yes.)

The show started with a video package of Cloris Leachman interviewing people at the farmer's market next to the DwtS studio about who they voted for. One bewildered young lady said, "I can't vote. I'm not a citizen."

Alicia Keys provided the first vocal performance of the night, singing "I Need You."



Then the eliminated couples returned to perform their best routines as Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris recapped the season, week by week:

Jeffrey Ross & Edyta Sliwinska -- Quickstep
Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer -- Fox Trot
Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas -- Mambo
Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff -- Mambo
Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas -- Tango
Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani -- Paso Doble
Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke -- Salsa
Cody Linley & Julianne Hough -- Jitterbug

Tom and Samantha chatted with Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who were forced to drop out earlier in the season due to an injury Misty suffered. Toni Braxton also didn't perform due to a recent surgery, so she and partner Alec Mazo chatted with Tom and Samantha as well.

For me, the highlight of the night was Jeffrey Ross's roast of the finalists. After mocking his own last place finish and calling Cloris Leachman's routines with Corky Ballas "Weekend at Bernie's: The Musical," he asked, "What can you say about Lance Bass that hasn't already been said about Clay Aiken?"

Finally, it was time for the finalists to dance their favorite routines from earlier in the season and receive their final scores from the judges.

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson -- Hustle
Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba...9, Len Goodman...9, Bruno...9 = 27/30
Total score for both nights: 80/90

Lance Bass & Lacey Johnson -- Jitterbug
Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...9, Len...9, Bruno...10 = 28/30
Total score for both nights: 81/90

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough -- Viennese Waltz
Judges' Scores: Carrie Ann...10, Len...10, Bruno...10 = 30/30
Total score for both nights: 88/90

As time in the overly long show wound down, Lance & Lacey graciously accepted their third place finish.

Well after most of her young fans had gone to bed, Miley Cyrus took the stage to sing "Fly on the Wall." The performance was the last hurdle before the results were to be revealed.



Brooke & Derek were named winners of Dancing with the Stars 7, and they were promptly hoisted onto the shoulders of Corky and Mark Ballas.