Last night, the results were in … and a new Dancing with the Stars champion was crowned on live TV. I understand there was much debate between the final two contestants as to which one would win the crown and in the end, I believe, the most consistent contestant won … beating out the runner-up by less than 1%:

So as not to spoil the fun for those of you who have yet to watch the finale ep, I’ll keep the reveal behind the cut. But the winner was on hand here in NYC live this morning to show off the DWTS championship trophy and give the first interview as winner — after the jump, find out who it was …

Olympic gymnast and Gold Medal winner Shawn Johnson is the new Dancing with the Stars champ, beating out the much beloved actor Gilles Marini. Here is a pic of Shawn at Good Morning America earlier this morning showing off her sparkly new trophy:

Shawn Johnson is adding a mirrorball trophy to her collection of Olympic medals. After all, the two glittering prizes seem to go very well together. The 17-year-old gymnast was named “Dancing With the Stars” champion Tuesday during the season finale of the hit ABC show, the third Olympian in eight seasons to win. Johnson and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, held the mirrorball trophy aloft as the rest of the contestants rushed out to greet them, hoisting the couple on their shoulders as sparkling confetti flew. “This has been the best experience ever,” Johnson said after her victory. “I’ve grown so much.” Johnson was tied with fellow finalist Gilles Marini after Melissa Rycroft was dismissed earlier in Tuesday’s show. All three finalists performed one last dance, each earning a perfect score of 30 from the judges. Viewer votes are combined with judges’ scores to determine the “Dancing” champ. Show host Tom Bergeron said “less than 1 percent” separated the two finalists. “This has been, without a doubt the best season ever,” said head judge Len Goodman. “We’ve got the three best dancers here in the final.” Johnson, holding a trophy almost half as tall as she is, celebrated with friends and fans after the show. “This means the world to me,” she said. “I can officially say I’m a dancer, and that’s amazing to me.” Johnson is the third Olympic gold medalist to win the “Dancing” crown. Ice skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Apolo Anton Ohno have previously taken the show’s trophy. As Ohno noted on Monday’s show, “There’s no Olympian who’s made the finals and not won the show.” Ballas shared the mirrorball with Yamaguchi last year.

Wow! I thought for sure that Gilles Marini would win the whole shebang … there was so much buzz about him, I know for sure that E! News‘s Marc Malkin was prolly cryin’ his eyes out that his fave did not win the championship. Shawn Johnson is a cute little pistol, as a gymnast I’m sure she had no problem learning all the dance moves that would lead to her victory. She’s such a cutie and I’m so glad that she was able to win this year’s trophy. Much congrats goes out to her today. Did any of y’all watch the show this season? Are you happy that Shawn won?

[Source]