Bristol Palin left "Dancing with the Stars" in third place during Tuesday night's finale. She was just behind second place Kyle Massey and DWTS champion Jennifer Grey. While detractors breathed a sigh of relief as Palin became the first contestant eliminated from the results show, many have complained about her being around for so long.
And these complaints did not go unnoticed by Bristol. In comments before the broadcast, Palin said, "Going out there and winning this would mean a lot. It would be like a big middle finger out there to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me."
MyFoxPhilly.com reports that "in an ironic twist, ABC said the number of voters online and by phone overwhelmed its systems, to the point that they couldn't get all the votes counted for a period." The network clarified, however, that the setback affected all participants equally.
Palin's performance on "Dancing with the Stars" started out respectable enough, but criticism flooded in as each week she and partner Mark Ballas found themselves at the bottom of the leader board only to survive another week.
During the semi-final results show, leader Brandy Norwood was up for elimination alongside Palin. In a development that shocked most of the audience, Norwood, who had led even Jennifer Grey for two weeks straight, was eliminated ahead of Bristol.
The ability to cast unlimited votes for the show was blamed for Palin's longevity, but the judges and contestants all supported Palin's inclusion in the finale. "You represent hope," Judge Carrie Anne Inaba told Palin prior to the coronation. "You all deserve to be here."
What were your thoughts on the DWTS finale? Do you think Bristol Palin should have been gone long before last night, or do you think her place on the series was deserved? Share your thoughts with us below.
