Bindi Irwin won season 21 of 'Dancing with the Stars'

She's tamed crocodiles and Tuesday night, Bindi Irwin won over the dance floor.

The wildlife enthusiast was crowned the winner of this season's "Dancing with the Stars," becoming the second youngest to take the Mirror Ball Trophy home (the honor goes to Olympic wonder Shawn Johnson).

"Season 21 has been my favorite by far and it's because of you Bindi Irwin," gushed judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

 

The daughter of late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin didn't shy away from discussing her famous dad throughout the season, but it was clear she had emerged in her own right as confetti rained over her.

The wildlife enthusiast was crowned the winner of this season's "Dancing with the Stars," becoming the second youngest to take the Mirror Ball Trophy home (the honor goes to Olympic wonder Shawn Johnson).

With her consistent high scores and radiating energy, the teen was a favorite with the judges, often leaving them and the audience in tears with her spell-binding dance numbers.

"Thank you for changing my life," the teen said as she was hoisted in the air with her glittery award.

The 17-year-old was tied at the top of the leaderboard with runner-up Backstreet Boy Nick Carter.

 

The popular boy-band member proved his thriving heartthrob status throughout the season, making it a toss-up whether he or Irwin was the clear fan favorite.

"This experience was a bonding experience. It was something that I will always remember and honestly Bindi deserved it, she kicked butt," he said.

At the bottom was American hero Alex Skarlatos, who put his best foot forward to prove he was deserving of a spot in the finals.

Voters saved the 22-year-old throughout the season, bringing him to third place.

And, it was a marked improvement for the man of the people who trailed slightly behind Carter and Irwin's perfect 90-point-score with his 84 points.

He's not hanging up his dance shoes completely though, as both him and Vine star Hayes Grier were revealed as part of the upcoming national DWTS tour.

More good news for fans of the long-running show: Len Goodman and his needed dose of curmudgeon comments will be back next season.

The grand finale pulled out all the stops to spectacularly fill up two hours, even filming parts of the live show outside at the Grove in Los Angeles for the first time.

Fellow contestant Kim Zolciak, who was earlier forced to withdraw, returned to dance her "I Dream of Jeannie" number, along with dancing cameos from many of the season's participants - though Tamar Braxton was still reportedly too ill to appear.

Meanwhile, Chaka Khan and Andy Grammar did not recreate their dancing moves, sticking instead to their singing chops with holiday melodies. And, Gary Busey did what he does best, entertaining the crowd in a nonsensical manner and serving up a hilarious rendition of "The Night before Christmas."

Yet, the shining moment of the two night finale had to be Irwin's mother and younger brother crying as the Australian youngster finished the season, winning the trophy and clearly America's heart.