When the confetti settled and the votes were tallied, Alix Earle, paired with pro Val Chmerkovskiy, took a deep breath and let the emotions hit. In a raw and candid post-show interview with E! News, she admitted she was still riding a wave of adrenaline, and once it washed over her, âit just hit me like a drug.â Robert Irwin and Witney Carson took home the mirrorball.

Earle & Chmerkovskiy Post-Finale Thoughts
Despite finishing second in the Season 34 finale â with Robert Irwin and his partner winning the Mirrorball Trophy, Alix insisted she had âno hard feelings.â She called it âthe best night everâ and insisted âit couldnât have gone any better.â
Finale Night: From Samba to Freestyle, Alix & Valâs Final Bow
On the night of the finale, Alix and Val stepped into the spotlight with three final dances â and delivered with polish, energy, and undeniable growth. Their Judgesâ Choice round opened with a samba to âHip Hip Chin Chinâ by Club des Belugas â Alix slayed that with bold hip action, rhythm, and swagger; Val led with confidence, and together they delivered a samba that was sultry, sharp, and full of showmanship. The ballroom erupted.
Then came the freestyle: a mashup of âManeaterâ by Nelly Furtado and âSports Carâ by Tate McRae. The routine leaned into modern energy â with dramatic drops, expressive lifts, clean isolations, and moments that felt both fierce and graceful. The judges responded accordingly. Every performance that night earned them perfect scores.
Behind the glam and stage lights, though, was real pressure disguised as glitter. Ahead of the final night, Alix admitted to tears while rehearsing â more than once. She confessed that some nights she felt like she was âlosing it,â torn between the expectations of fame, dance, and her own inner doubts.
At the end, she sent love and gratitude to Val, thanking him for pushing her through weeks of grueling rehearsals â the highs, the lows, the sweat, the glam, and all the transformation.
Love, Long Distance & Support: Whatâs Next for Alix and Her NFL Boyfriend
Even as the DWTS chapter closes, fans are also wondering whatâs up with Alixâs personal life â in particular, her relationship with Braxton Berrios.
EntertainmentNowâs profile on him highlighted their two-year relationship and how theyâve managed the balance between NFL life and social media / entertainment life.
Before her first dance on DWTS, Alix recalled a calming call with Braxton. She said he reminded her that feeling nervous meant she was doing something big â a sentiment he often tells himself before football games. That pep talk helped settle her jitters before stepping into the ballroom. Even with Braxtonâs hectic schedule and long-distance challenges, Alix made it clear she appreciated his support. Their story â meeting in 2023, going public on a podcast, celebrating milestones, and navigating conflicting commitments â humanizes the glamour of DWTS.
Which means, while Alix closes this dance chapter, her love life is still dancing too â on a different rhythm.


