Splash Finale Recap: And the Winner of ABC's Diving Competition Is...

Nicole Eggert, Drake Bell and Rory Bushfield all competed in the final round of ABC's new reality hit

By Tierney Bricker May 08, 2013 1:19 AMTags
SplashABC/Craig Sjodin

Three stars. Two dives. One winner.

After shocking exits and a slew of injuries, Splash, ABC's buzzy new reality hit competition series, closed out its memorable first season on Tuesday night.

Former Baywatch babe Nicole Eggert, Nickelodeon star Drake Bell and extreme skier Rory Bushfield were the final three celebrities left to dive it out for the "crystal diving trophy."

So which star was crowned the series' first champion?

After taking a risk by performing a dive that he's never been able to complete (and once landed him a concussion!), Bell was the first celebrity eliminated. "It was really awesome being able to learn all this stuff," he said after losing out to Eggert, who went on to face Bushfield in a final dive-off, after which the live audience decided who the winner was.

Unfortunately, Nicole attempted to do a double backflip and botched her dive, saying, "I need help!" after she came to the surface. "She is going to be OK," host Joey Lawrence said after and Nicole was able to exit the pool on her own.

Rory, who performed an impressive two front flip dive, said he was "inspired" by his late wife Sarah Burke, a fellow extreme skier who died last January. In the end, the audience chose Rory as Splash's first-ever champion.

Do you think Rory deserved to win? Do you hope Splash returns for a second season? Sound off in the comments!

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