‘DWTS’s Kaitlyn Bristowe & Artem Chigvintsev on Winning the Mirror Ball Trophy
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Want to win big on Dancing With the Stars? Consider trying out first for an ABC reality dating show. For the second year in a row, a star from The Bachelorette took home DWTS’ coveted mirror ball trophy.
Following Hannah Brown’s win a year ago, Kaitlyn Bristowe (The Bachelorette) is the newest DWTS champ, having earned, along with her pro partner Artem Chigvintsev, the highest number of viewers votes and scores from the show’s judges.
“It still feels so surreal,” said Chigvintsev, in a virtual call with Bristowe, the mirror ball trophy sitting on a chair in between them. “You could see on our faces that we were so surprised. It’s crazy that we’re sitting next to this thing [after] 11 weeks of a crazy amount of hard work.”
“It’s hard to put into words,” added Bristowe, who gives high praise to the show’s production team that got DWTS on the air after implementing all the COVID-19 safety protocols. “I almost wanted to turn it around and say, ‘We wouldn’t be here without all of you — including the judges!’”
Immediately after the pair had been announced as the winners, Chigvintsev’s fiancé Nikki Bella posted a congratulatory message on Instagram.
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So did Jason Tartick, Bristowe’s boyfriend, writing: “I am dead, what a legend!”
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“Any success in life is worth it when you can share it with your loved ones,” Chigvintsev sad. “I’m not taking away the experience of winning, but when you have loved ones at home for whom you really care, it makes every single day, every pain, every single tear, every blister on your feet, and the sleepless nights all worth it.”
“I’m trying to put [Jason’s] reaction into perspective,” says Bristowe. “He’s one of the biggest Buffalo Bills [football] fans. He was 10-times that every Monday that we danced. I joked that [if I won] I wanted to have babies next.”
And now that her winning has become a reality? “I’m not against it,” said Bristowe about moving forward with becoming a mom.
As is tradition, both Bristowe and Chigvintsev each take home a trophy. “Sharing would be hard,” the dance pro said.
Should they only been given one trophy, Bristowe said to Chigvintsey, “I would have shipped it to you every other week. You deserve this just as much if not more.”
