Bristol Palin Takes Third on DWTS

LOS ANGELES (The Blaze/AP) — Jennifer Grey is the new "Dancing With the Stars" champ.

The 50-year-old actress beat out actor Kyle Massey and voting favorite Bristol Palin to take the title Tuesday.

Grey and professional partner Derek Hough earned a string of perfect scores on their way to the mirrorball trophy. The couple consistently topped the judges' leaderboard throughout the season, but Palin's cadre of voter support led to some surprising upsets, including Brandy's elimination after earning a perfect score last week.

Grey overcame physical pain to claim the "Dancing" championship, including an old injury in her neck and a new one in her knee.

Bristol Palin could not overcome low scores from judges to become the new "Dancing With the Stars" champ.A cadre of dedicated voters helped Palin overcome less-than-stellar scores throughout the competition and remain in the competition, but she was the first contestant to be eliminated Tuesday night, trailing leader Jennifer Grey and Kyle Massey.

Palin's improbable run for the finals had been championed by some conservative bloggers, who led get-out-the-vote campaigns on behalf of the 20-year-old single mom. Palin's fan support was evident when she was voted in over Brandy — who had received a perfect score for her tango — on last week's show, prompting some viewers to question the veracity of the "Dancing" voting system.

The show acknowledged its voting system was temporarily overwhelmed after Monday's show, but the issue was resolved quickly and "affected each finalist equally."