Former The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown and her partner Alan Bersten have been crowned as the season 28 winners of Dancing With The Stars. The Alabama native has traded in her pageant crown for that shiny Mirror Ball trophy.
From her time on The Bachelor to being the lead of The Bachelorette and now her time on Dancing with the Stars, Hannah is no stranger to the spotlight in the last year and a half, and it’s no surprise she was named the 2019 Competition Contestant at the People’s Choice Awards, but it hasn’t always been a smooth ride for her. At this point, everyone knows about the messy ending to her season of The Bachelorette and her quickly-ended engagement to country music wannabe Jed Wyatt, but Hannah has also been vulnerable with her fans during her time on Dancing with the Stars. Throughout her time on the dancing competition show, the former pageant queen admitted it was much harder than she ever expected mentally and physically, and she didn’t always receive positive feedback from the judges, but she pushed through. Hannah continued to grow throughout the course of the season, which is how she ended up on finale night holding that coveted Mirror Ball Trophy.
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On Monday November 25, Hannah and her partner Alan were crowned the winners of the four couples in the finale, with Kel Mitchell and pro Witney Carson as the runner ups. In an interview with ET, directly after their win was announced, Hannah said she was “in complete shock.” When their names were called, fans could see that the 24-year-old was visibly surprised, and she told ET host Lauren Zima that “when they said our names, I thought it was for the runner-ups, so I don’t think I even know how to process how I feel right now.” Hannah thanked her fans too, saying that she is “so thankful for the fans that have been along on this journey,” claiming the whole experience has been everything from “crazy” to “heartbreaking.” Hannah also took the opportunity to thank judge Carrie Ann Inaba specifically because “she knew I had more in me and I think that I really showed that tonight.” The experience of Dancing with the Stars overall has taught her to be more confident in herself and that even though Hannah isn’t always sure she deserves all the attention she receives, “the fans and the people who have loved me around this whole experience have made me feel like I do deserve it.”
Hannah’s partner Alan posted a heartfelt caption alongside an Instagram photo of the pair holding their Mirror Ball trophy, calling Hannah “the best partner.” The pro-dancer wrote that Hannah “never gave up” and that the Southern Belle “always gave me more than I expected ( and I expected a lot) and you really allowed yourself to be vulnerable on that dance floor!” This is Bersten’s first time winning the season and he wrote that “you have inspired me Hannah, anything is possible, and I want to thank you for giving me the best season ever!” Hannah and Alan were open from the beginning of the season that it took them time to find a groove as dance partners, but everything has worked out for the best for the pair.
With two seasons in Bachelor Nation, a People’s Choice Award, a Miss USA title, and now a Mirror Ball trophy under her belt, where can Hannah Brown go from here? ABC released a sneak peek of the upcoming season of The Bachelor which featured a few scenes with Hannah that left fans wondering if she’ll be returning to fight for Peter’s heart - but that doesn’t seem likely. Maybe now she’ll take a little time to herself to digest everything that’s happened or she’ll make an appearance on another reality show. No matter what her next move is, her loyal fans will be there to support her.
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Source: ET, Alan Bersten
