Witney Carson has forever sashayed her way into Alfonso Ribeiro’s heart.
The Dancing With the Stars co-host looked especially moved when Witney and her partner Robert Irwin took home the famed Mirrorball Trophy during the show’s season 34 finale—11 years after Witney and Alfonso won the award.
The former teammates shared a sweet moment after Witney and Robert accepted their win, as Alfonso could be seen embracing Witney in a video she shared to TikTok Nov. 26 and telling her, “I love you.”
It was also a moving experience for Witney herself, as the 32-year-old wrote in the caption, “It was exactly this day 11 years ago that I won my first mirrorball with Alfonso… and tonight, he handed me my second.”
The dancing pro added, “Every high, every low, every tough loss, every season that stretched and refined me, it all led here. Getting to share this win with someone like Robert means more than I could ever express.”
Witney also thanked her husband Carson McAllister and their children Kevin, 4, and Jet, 2, for their support, writing, “I’ll truly cherish this moment forever.”
Another DWTS family member elated by her triumph this season? Alfonso’s wife Angela Unkrich.
“My heart is bursting for you both,” she wrote in a Nov. 26 Instagram post alongside several snaps of Alfonso, Witney and Robert from the finale. “Your journey together has been so special to watch from day one.”
And Angela—who shares kids Alfonso Jr., 12, Anders, 10, and Ava, 6, with Alfonso—gave a special shoutout to Witney, saying, “I love you so much and I’m so proud of everything you brought this season as a dancer, a mother, a wife, and a friend.”
“Your heart, creativity, and magic shined as brightly as ever,” she continued. “You are extraordinary.”
Since meeting during season 19 of DWTS in 2014, Alfonso and Witney have maintained a close bond.
“We talk behind the scenes a lot,” he shared on Danielle Fishel’s Danielle With… podcast Nov. 21. “I am a life mentor to her in many ways. And my wife Angela is even more of a life mentor for her.”
The 54-year-old added, “On a personal level, it's incredible to watch the growth of that little girl that I met 12 years ago. She was a baby, literally.”
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum went on to praise Witney—who was only 21 when they competed—and “her brilliance on the floor” each week, noting that he’s seen a spark reignite in her while dancing with Robert, which he believes she lost after missing out on the Mirrorball Trophy with partner Milo Manheim in 2018.
“I’m watching her give in a different way that she’s done over the last several years of herself,” he shared, “and open up and allow people in.”
While Robert and Witney took home the trophy this year, keep reading for all the stars who tried to dance their way to the top on this season of Dancing With the Stars.
Baron Davis
Partnered with Britt Stewart
Jennifer Affleck
Partnered with Jan Ravnik
Alix Earle
Partnered with Valentin Chmerkovski
Dylan Efron
Partnered with Daniella Karagach
Corey Feldman
Partnered with Jenna Johnson
Elaine Hendrix
Partnered with Alan Bersten
Robert Irwin
Partnered with Witney Carson
Jordan Chiles
Partnered with Ezra Sosa
Scott Hoying
Partnered with Rylee Arnold
Whitney Leavitt
Partnered with Mark Ballas
Hilaria Baldwin
Partnered with Gleb Savchenko
Andy Richter
Partnered with Emma Slater
Danielle Fishel
Partnered with Pasha Pashkov