Donny Osmond, Kym Johnson dance way to 'Stars' victory

Going where no Osmond has gone before, Donny Osmond claimed the mirror-ball trophy and the "Dancing With the Stars" championship on Tuesday night.

Two years after his sister, Marie, finished third on the ABC show, Donny and his partner, Kym Johnson, took home the title on the series' ninth season.

When he was announced as the winner, a visibly overjoyed Osmond rushed into the audience, literally carrying his wife, Debbie, back on stage.

"He's like, 'I did it! I can't believe it, but I did it!' " said Osmond's oldest son, Don, who was one of a large group of family members in the studio for the finale. "We were all just so caught up in the excitement. We're relieved it's over, but it's been so much fun for everyone. Including my dad."

That's in no small part because the elder Osmond came out on top of his ongoing sibling rivalry with Marie.

"That was his goal all along — to finish higher than Marie," Don Osmond said. "But, honestly, you never know. I'd like to say I never doubted he would win, but, yeah, I was worried. Especially during the semifinals."

It was a comeback of sorts for the Utahn, who finished last in the judges' scores each of the past two weeks and was saved by viewers' votes.

On Tuesday, the three finalists — Osmond, Mya (who was the favorite) and Kelly Osbourne — danced one last time for the judges. Osmond and Johnson were rated the best for their tango. And that drew them into a dead heat with Mya and Dmitry Chaplin in the judges' scores, which count for half of the final decision.

The other half of the formula — those viewer votes — gave Osmond the title.

"It's not how you start this competition, it's how you finish," judge Len Goodman told Osmond. "And last night, again tonight, you finished strong."

The 51-year-old Utahn and Johnson, beat out 30-year-old Mya (who finished second) and 25-year-old Kelly Osbourne. And Donny was rehearsing for and performing on "DWTS" while at the same time headlining a Las Vegas show with Marie.

"I knew that "Dancing With the Stars" would be a tough schedule. I didn't think it would be this tough," Osmond said.

But even before he was declared the winner, it was clear he had no regrets.

"I've done a lot of things in my career, I'll tell you. This is going to rank right at the top of everything that I've done," Osmond said. "I've really, thoroughly enjoyed this experience."

And there's no immediate rest for the winner, who rushed from the studio to the airport in Los Angeles so he could fly overnight to New York. Osmond is scheduled to appear on "Good Morning America" and "The View" to bask in the glow of his victory.

"He's worked really hard, but he's had so much fun," Don Osmond said. "He's amazing."

e-mail: pierce@desnews.com