Reigning Dancing With the Stars champion Iman Shumpert will part with the Mirrorball trophy on Monday — and it’s anyone’s guess who will take it from him.
As Dancing wraps its inaugural season on Disney+, it also boasts one of the show’s strongest-ever finalist lineups: TV host Wayne Brady, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Shangela and onetime Bachelorette Gabby Windey comprise this year’s Top 4, and they’ve all made excellent cases for the Season 31 victory. But before a winner is formally crowned on Monday’s finale (8/7c), we want your thoughts on who ought to take home the prize.
Based only on previous scores, it’s perhaps Shangela who has the longest odds of winning at this point. She and partner Gleb Savchenko found themselves in the Bottom 3 last week and secured their spot in the finale via judges’ save. Plus, though Shangela did snag a perfect score for her Halloween Night performance, that has been her only 40 to date, while the other three finalists have each notched multiple perfect scores throughout the season. With two more scored performances coming up on Monday, and the support of her considerable fanbase, it’s not at all impossible for Shangela to still clinch the big win — but she may have the toughest road ahead.
Wayne has also had his share of wobbly weeks this season: You name it, he encountered it, from a stomach bug that cut into his rehearsal time to knee pain that has needed consistent attention. But despite those setbacks (and his insanely busy work schedule), Wayne has capably delivered strong routines, and not even his weakest showings ever put him in danger of elimination. It may simply come down to his last two scores on finale night, which will be especially pivotal as Gabby and Charli continue to score 10s across the board.
Speaking of Gabby, she appears to be peaking at just the right time, having earned perfect 40s for her last three consecutive routines. She, too, has avoided the Bottom 2 all season long, and she’s heading into finale night armed with not only her own supporters from Bachelor Nation, but partner Val Chmerkovskiy’s devoted fans, as well. In fact, from a technique and scoring perspective, she and Charli might be two of the most evenly matched female finalists we’ve seen in a long time. The question remains, though…
…Can anything beat the power of Charli’s massive TikTok following? Even on this very season, Vinny Guadagnino was proof of how far a passionate fanbase could take someone — and with more than 148 million (!) followers on TikTok, Charli would likely have made the finale even if she weren’t one of the season’s most gorgeously gifted dancers. But combine Charli’s fanbase with her four perfect scores across the season, glowing praise from the judges (sometimes too glowing, Carrie Ann!) and her and Mark Ballas’ repertoire of creative and beautifully performed routines, and she seems — on paper, at least — to be the most formidable finalist heading into Monday’s episode.
That’s our take, but now we want yours! Cast your votes below for who you think will and should win Dancing With the Stars‘ latest cycle, then drop a comment to elaborate on your choices!
