Monaco Is "Dancing" Queen

The stars aligned for fleet-footed pair Kelly Monaco and Alec Mazo.

The underdog duo set the dance floor on fire Wednesday night to become the champions of ABC's breakaway summer hit, Dancing with the Stars.

Monaco, who received the lowest marks from the judges during the first dance-off of the six-episode series, dipped, flipped and swayed her way to the top through hard work and sheer willpower.

By the final competition, the General Hospital star's moves were smooth enough to unseat Seinfeld's John O'Hurley and partner Charlotte Jorgensen, "the couple to beat," according to Judge Carrie Anne Inaba.

Monaco and Mazo performed a sexy samba, followed by a fiery freestyle routine that earned them the only perfect score of the competition. After viewer votes were counted, the soap star and her partner were declared the winners.

"All my life I've been the underdog," an emotional Monaco said. "I know it's such a sap story, but I have."

The actress said she initially entered the contest more to test her strength outside of her comfort zone, than for the dancing itself.

Apart from receiving the lowest marks from the judges in the first episode of the series, Monaco went on to be plagued by bad luck and stinging criticisms.

Two weeks ago, the petite star's skimpy green top came apart in a wardrobe malfunction that resulted in a near disaster for the live television show. But Monaco managed to keep her cool--and her top up--as she finished the steps of her samba.

Earlier in the season, judge Bruno Tonioli sneered at Monaco's serious expression as she went through her paces. "Is there a death in the family? Your face, it's like somebody died."

After Mazo dropped her on her head while practicing lifts, Monaco insisted that they retire to her own swimming pool where the landings would be softer. Apparently, the strategy worked.

Thursday night, the soap star's face was all smiles as she landed splits, completed a back walkover down a flight of stairs and even landed painfully on her knees during one complicated move.

Meanwhile, O'Hurley, who had made clear his determination to emerge from the series a winner, recruited his pal Patrick Swayze to help him perfect his hip-shaking for the final competition.

However, even the Dirty Dancing star couldn't keep O'Hurley out of the loser's corner. Despite his disappointment, O'Hurley proved his sense of humor remained intact when he asked if he at least got to keep his toll-free number as a consolation prize of sorts.

At the close of the show, all the previously eliminated stars--Trista Sutter, Rachel Hunter, Joey McIntyre and Evander Holyfield--and their partners returned for one last spin around the dance floor.

The show was a surprise hit for the Alphabet net, easily finishing first in the ratings each week and drawing a whopping 18.6 million viewers for the week ended Sunday. Some 22.4 million viewers tuned in for the finale, per Nielsen Media data.

Those numbers brought Dancing within close range of the first season finale of American Idol, when just over 23 million viewers tuned in to watch Kelly Clarkson's crowning.

Capitalizing on the ballroom dancing frenzy apparently sweeping the nation, Fox has announced plans for a series titled So You Think You Can Dance, from the producers of American Idol. Viewers will pick the winning dancer, who will receive $100,000 and a one-year lease on a New York apartment. The series is scheduled to debut July 20.

The network also has plans to fast-track another new reality series called Skating with Celebrities, which will feature famous types attempting to master complicated moves such as double axels and spins. Skating has been given a six-episode order.