From the very first moment she stepped out onto the dance floor, Courtney Act was always going to be the one to beat on Dancing With The Stars.
A talented entertainer who performs for a living, Courtney was constantly winning praise from the show’s judges, her fellow contestants and viewers at home for her jaw-dropping dances.
But as loyal Dancing With The Stars viewers will know, who gets sent home each week and who eventually comes out on top actually isn’t about which dancer received the best score from the judges.
The final outcome is determined by a combination of official scores and viewer votes.
So even if a couple is on top of the leaderboard, if they don’t get enough votes from the public, they can still be eliminated, or come second.
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And that’s exactly what happened during the DTWS finale on Monday night.
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Samuel and Jorja with their winner’s trophies. (Image: Channel 10)
At the end of the show, Courtney and her partner Josh were atop the leader board by one point, with a score of 59 compared to Samuel Johnson’s 58, while Constance Hall was on 47 points.
“Hope the viewer votes don’t impact on the leaderboard. Best dancers should always win,” one viewer wrote on Twitter, before the final outcome was announced.
But in the end, Samuel Johnson’s huge fan base helped him and partner Jorja over the line and the pair took home the coveted mirrorball trophy.
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Courtney and Josh just before the winner was announced. (Image: Channel 10)
Courtney and Josh were on top of the leaderboard at the end of the show. (Image: Channel 10)
Even after he was crowned the winner, Samuel seemed to dispute the show’s outcome, declaring: “Courtney was the better dancer. I want to acknowledge Courtney!”
And it seems viewers agreed with him, with many angrily tweeting their reactions and some arguing Courtney was “robbed” of her victory.
Courtney was gracious in defeat, putting on a huge smile and warmly congratulating Samuel and Jorja on their win.
Despite her loss, Courtney’s appearance on the show has been praised as a huge victory for Australia’s LGBTIQ community.
Courtney and Josh are the show’s first same-sex couple and viewers quickly warmed to the couple, who have done wonders to increase the visibility of Australia’s gay community.
“You two have been beautiful,” host Amanda Keller told the pair during the finale. “Thank you for breaking barriers on this show.”
WATCH BELOW: Samuel Johnson’s final performance on Dancing With The Stars. Story continues after video.
Speaking to Now To Love in February, Courtney explained the importance of having someone like her on a prime time show like Dancing With The Stars.
“Any time diversity, whether that be race or gender or sexuality, any minority group is show on Australian TV, that’s a win,” Courtney said.
“We’re not great at diversity so it’s great to showcase stuff like that. You get to learn something about someone who is different from you.”
The charity Courtney chose to support on DWTS is Black Rainbow, an organisation that supports LGBTIQ Indigenous Australians.
You can donate to Black Rainbow here.
