Jazz Thornton has won Dancing With the Stars NZ for 2022.
Thornton faced off against fellow competitor Brodie Kane after David Letele and Alex Vaz were eliminated earlier in Sunday night's grand final.
Unlike the bulk of the competition, where viewer votes were combined with the judges' scores to decide the bottom two each week, the champion was chosen solely by viewers' text votes.
Holding the coveted mirrorball trophy after the win alongside dance partner Brad Coleman, Thornton thanked the public for their votes and others in the competition.
"Thank you so much to everyone at home who voted for us and got behind us. Brad, thank you for everything you gave to me this season," she said.
"I don't know what to say, but thank you."
Coleman also thanked those in the competition and who worked in the show.
"I just want to say thank you to the cast, the crew, everyone behind the scenes. I love all you guys and I loved doing this, so thank you so much."
Thornton's charity is Youthline.
Leading up to Sunday's grand final, this season of Dancing With the Stars NZ was hit several times with COVID-19 infections among competitors and the judges.
Eric Murray tested positive first, meaning he had to leave, bringing Alex Vaz back into the competition. Then the following day, Rhys Mathewson and his dance partner Phoebe Robb both caught the virus, which meant Kerre Woodham returned to the competition.
And finally, hours before the show started on Sunday, it was revealed that head judge Camilla Sacre-Dallerup also had caught COVID-19, and professional ballroom dancer Karen Hardy would take her place.
The celebrity competitors on this year's season of Dancing With the Stars NZ were David Letele, Brodie Kane, Eric Murray, Sonia Gray, Eli Matthewson, Kerre Woodham, Rhys Mathewson, Jazz Thornton, and Alex Vaz.
