ABC/Adam Taylor(LOS ANGELES) -- Country singer Kellie Pickler and pro partner Derek Hough were crowned the winners of the 16th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night.  Disney star Zendaya and partner Val Chmerkovskiy finished in second place.

Pickler, who had been a fan favorite during ten weeks of competition, reacted to the announcement by declaring, “Oh my God. This is amazing. Oh my God.”

Zendaya said after the vote that she was very proud of what she accomplished. “I’m very proud. I'm very happy and I get to leave here with an amazing experience, so I'm very happy.”

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones and partner Karina Smirnoff finished in third place.  Jones made a lighthearted comment about Smirnoff’s tough practice regimen. “Out of all my trainings that I've had, I've never had a woman push me like she did," he said.

Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and partner Mark Ballas were eliminated in the first hour of Tuesday’s season finale results show, ending the competition in fourth place.

Raisman told the audience, “This has been the best experience of my life. Thank you, Dancing with the Stars. It's been so amazing.”

Pickler, Zendaya and Jones and their respective partners had to compete in one final “instant dance” routine Tuesday before the winner was declared.  Those scores were added to the judges' scores for both nights.

Instant Dance Routines:

Jacoby Jones: The NFL star’s salsa earned uniform praise from judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Goodman told Jones he had a “naturalness” about his dance, and was full of fun and vitality. Tonioli said Jones had charisma and showmanship, adding, "I could watch you anytime." Inaba told Jones, “You are a champion. That was the dance of a champion.”  Jones earned a perfect score of 30 points, giving him a two-night judges' total of 86 out of 100 points.

Kellie Pickler: Tonioli told the country singer her jive had accuracy, precision and technique, and compared her to Julianne Hough, a former DWTS pro who is now a recording artist and actress. Inaba told Pickler that she and her partner, Derek Hough, were "like a bright ray of sunshine." Goodman offered one of his trademark quips: "You're always clean, you're precise, you're sharp, your dancing is always polished. I'm telling you, Kellie, you're the bee's knees, my mama's pajamas, my uncle's carbuncles. You're awesome.” Pickler earned 30 points, giving her a two-night judges' total of 94 points.

Zendaya: The Disney star's jive won rave reviews from the judges. Inaba told her she made every dance special, and Goodman added that, for a 16-year-old, she danced with precision and maturity and always turned in a performance, rather than just a routine. Added Tonioli: “For somebody so young you have pitch-perfect performer instinct.” Zendaya earned 30 points, for a two-night judges' total of 95 points.

When all the points were tabulated, Pickler was the star with the highest combined tally of judges' scores and viewers' votes.

Of the four finalists, Zendaya was considered the most technically accomplished, and was the early standout. She was the youngest competitor in the show's history, and her performances consistently put her at or near the top of the leader board. She earned the first perfect score of the season.

Pickler was perhaps the most surprising contestant of the pack. She seemed to get better week after week, and she, too, was consistently at or near the top of the leader board during the competition. Her moving contemporary freestyle routine Monday night brought Inaba to tears and earned her a rare standing ovation from Goodman. The judges requested that routine as Tuesday’s encore performance.

Jones' flair and showmanship gave him staying power even when his routines were less than perfect.  He improved during the course of the season, making up for technical flaws with energetic, crowd-pleasing performances.

Raisman turned in physically demanding routines that capitalized on her gymnastic skills, but the judges also said she'd shown remarkable development of her dance abilities.

Tuesday’s finale also included musical performances by Pitbull, PSY and Wynonna, who was eliminated from the show earlier this season.

There were also dance performances from the rest of the season 16 cast.  General Hospital star Ingo Rademacher was voted off the show last week. He was preceded by “Bachelor” Sean Lowe, comedian Andy Dick, boxer Victor Ortiz, comedian D.L. Hughley, Wynonna and reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump.  An injury forced figure skating legend Dorothy Hamill to withdraw from the competition in the second week.

Dancing with the Stars returns to ABC in the fall as a one-night event.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Last winter, reality show veteran Melissa Rycroft and her partner, Tony Dovolani, won Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars, and she’s got some advice for this season's finalists: Invest in comfortable footwear.

“My feet are still rebelling about high heels,” she told ABC News with a laugh. “I was wearing, like, five-inchers and I’m working my way up. I had a herniated disk in my neck this time. At the ripe old age of 30 my body was falling apart. I’m so not jealous [of the competitors tonight]. I don’t want to be back out there.”

In spite of her (literally) scarring experience on Dancing with the Stars, Rycroft, who also was on The Bachelor, has been watching this season. As far as she’s concerned, there’s no clear winner, at this point.

“I said from day one it’s Kellie [Pickler]‘s trophy, and I still think it’s Kellie’s trophy, but I would love to see, like, Aly [Raisman] come in there and sneak it,” she said, adding that she’s “a huge Jacoby [Jones] fan.”

“They’re all phenomenal,” she said. “I’m glad I didn’t have to go up against any of them.”

Now a spokeswoman for Banana Boat’s Unconditional Fun Sweepstakes, Rycroft has begun to think about her own summer plans, which include spending time at her parents’ beach house and going to Europe with her husband, Tye Strickland, and their 2-year-old, Ava.

One thing not on the agenda just yet? Baby No. 2.

“We’ve always talked that we want a big family, but I look at Ava and go, ‘I’m not ready to share her yet,’” Rycroft said. “It’ll happen eventually.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

ABC/Lorenzo Bevilaqua | ABC/Craig Sjodin(NEW YORK) -- Two ABC television personalities will co-host the 2014 Miss America beauty pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., the pageant announced Tuesday.

Lara Spencer, the lifestyle anchor for ABC News’ Good Morning America, and Chris Harrison, who hosts ABC’s reality TV show The Bachelor, co-host the competition on Sept. 15 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The event will be broadcast live on ABC.

“Hosting Miss America is one of the most iconic hosting jobs in television so I am thrilled to host it on this historic return home. I am extremely pleased to see the pageant return in September and to be a part of this tremendous television event with Lara,” Harrison said in a release.

Harrison has hosted the pageant’s live broadcast for the past four years.

Spencer served as a national judge for the pageant in 2012.

The pageant started in 1921 in Atlantic City. Winners earn scholarship opportunities and travel across the country to represent the pageant and promote their chosen platforms.

Tickets for the pageant will go on sale in early June through Ticketmaster.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Terry O'Neill/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- The pants worn by actor Mark Hamill in his portrayal of Luke Skywalker as a Jedi Knight in Star Wars are being sold at auction.

Nate D. Sanders Auctions says the current high bid for the pants is $22,413. The auction company expects the pants to sell for as much as $100,000 when the auction ends May 21 at 5 p.m. Pacific time. 

The auction company says Hamill once stated in an interview that the pants were actually “just bleached Levi’s with the tag still in them.  Additional details about the pants at NateDSanders.com.

In other Star Wars news, production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, a new animated TV series set to air in the fall of 2014 as a one hour special on the Disney Channel before shifting to Disney XD Channels around the world.

According to Disney, Star Wars Rebels is set in the time period between Star Wars: Episode 3 and Episode 4, an era in which the Empire is “securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

ABC/Adam Taylor(LOS ANGELES) -- The four remaining couples on ABC's Dancing with the Stars pulled out all the stops Monday night in their final bid to win the mirror ball trophy.  Each couple performed three routines, including the all-important freestyle.

At the end of the night, Zendaya and partner Val Chmerkovskiy were atop the leader board, while Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff found themselves in last place.

The fourth-place couple will be eliminated within the first hour of the results show on Tuesday, and in a final element of the competition, the three remaining couples will perform a new routine in an instant dance.  The routine will be scored and added to the judges' scores for both nights.

The couple with the highest combined total of judges' scores and viewers' votes will be declared the winner.

Host Tom Bergeron made a point during the broadcast to mention the deadly tornado that struck Oklahoma Monday afternoon.  Bergeron said “our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the devastating tornado...”  He then asked the studio audience to applaud the “amazing courage of the first responders on site.”

The Routines:

For the first routine, the judges picked a style of dance each star had previously performed, asking them to re-do it and improve upon it.  The second routine was a cha cha cha relay in which all the stars danced and had the opportunity to earn up to five extra points from the judges.  The third dance was the freestyle.

Jacoby Jones: For their first dance, the jive, the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver and partner Karina Smirnoff got some advice during rehearsals from head judge Len Goodman, who advised the NFL star to make his kicks sharp and crisp.  Judges saw improvement in Jones' kicks during the ballroom performance, but said the routine had a few flaws.  “The footwork was a bit better...you got excited on occasion and you lost it but overall I've got to say, I saw that slightly crisper footwork,” Goodman said.  Bruno Tonioli told Jones he always brought a "limitless supply of energy and power" but said he missed the beat "quite a few times" and also went flat-footed.  Carrie Ann Inaba told Jones he “always brought the swagger” and was always exciting to watch.  Total score: 27 out of a possible 30 points.

In the cha-cha relay, judges ranked Jones fourth place, earning him two extra points.

Jones' tap dance-inspired supersized freestyle came with help from several other dancers on the ballroom floor, and while the judges commended the upbeat, celebratory air, they also found flaws.  Tonioli said the routine was "like watching a Mardi Gras parade down Bourbon Street.”  Inaba thought the production was good but felt that it overshadowed Jones.  "That's the sad part.  I wanted you to be the star," she said.  Total score: 27 out of a possible 30 points.

Aly Raisman: The Olympic gymnast got advice from Tonioli, who walked her through performing the samba roll, a difficult move, for her first dance.  Her samba with partner Mark Ballas wowed the judges.  Tonioli said Raisman did everything he asked for and she was "prettier than ever, and cleaner and slicker than ever."  Inaba told Raisman she had the musicality and sensuality, swagger and beautiful lines of her fellow finalists.  Goodman said the routine was "a little bit heavy in the legs on occasion," but overall, the performance was terrific.  Samba score: 28/30.

In the cha-cha relay, Raisman was ranked third, picking up three points.

Raisman’s supersize freestyle was a futuristic performance that unfolded with her and Ballas dancing on poles to showcase her gymnastic ability.  The judges were impressed.  Inaba said it was "one of the most amazing routines" she'd seen in a finale freestyle, and Goodman said he loved the concept, adding that it had "great imagination."  Tonioli told Raisman that she took "an incredible risk."  The risk paid off.  Total score: 30/30.

Kellie Pickler: The country music star and partner Derek Hough performed the quickstep for their first dance.  Pickler had danced the quickstep before and Inaba had noted that she didn't see enough body contact.  The ballroom audience loved Pickler's routine Monday and gave her prolonged applause.  Inaba also approved, saying the performance had the body contact she wanted to see.  Tonioli told Pickler the routine was, technically, "a tour de force.”  Total score: 30/30.

In the cha-cha relay, Pickler was ranked second, earning four points.

Pickler's contemporary freestyle routine brought her another enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience and a hug from a teary-eyed Inaba.  "Kellie, you just bared your soul on the dance floor and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.  Thank you," Inaba said.  Goodman also stood up to applaud for Pickler, telling her the routine drew everyone in.  Tonioli called the routine "a dance of spellbinding beauty."  Total score: 30/30.

Zendaya: The season's youngest competitor had a visit from Inaba during rehearsals for her first dance, the samba, and she got some pointers from the judge.  Inaba Ann called the 16-year-old Disney star's performance with partner Val Chmerkovskiy “magical,” while Goodman exclaimed, “That was eye-popping, show-stopping, jaw-dropping - that's a samba.”  Tonioli added, “You're just incredibly fierce, child...you have a natural flamboyance that's so easy.  It comes out without effort.”  Total score: 30/30.

Zendaya won the cha cha cha relay, earning 5 points.

Zendaya's freestyle, with elements of contemporary, cha cha cha and hip hop, ended with several young dancers joining her and Chmerkovskiy on the ballroom floor.  Goodman liked the variety of styles in the performance.  "There were so many parts to that number but it all came together and created a fabulous routine," he said.  Tonioli said Zendaya brought a “unique luminosity” to everything she performed.  Total score: 30/30.

The Scores (First dance, second dance, freestyle dance, grand total):

• Zendaya and Val Chmerkovskiy: 30, 5, 30. Total: 65
• Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough: 30, 4, 30. Total: 64
• Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas: 28, 3, 30. Total: 61
• Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff: 27, 2, 27. Total: 56

The two-hour season finale results show, featuring musical performances from Pitbull, Wynonna and PSY, airs on ABC Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Kevin Winter/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- It's official: Seth MacFarlane won't return to host Hollywood's biggest night.

"Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again.  Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep," the Family Guy creator announced Monday via Twitter.

After being offered the gig by the telecast's producers -- Craig Zadan and Neil Meron -- MacFarlane turned down the job and claimed he suggested another host: Joaquin Phoenix.  (No word on if that was a joke.)

MacFarlane immediately rejected the possibility of hosting again after receiving tons of criticism when he hosted the 85th Academy Awards in February.  One of the most criticized elements of the show was the "Boobs Song," in which MacFarlane sang about the topless scenes of many Hollywood actresses.

Perhaps the Oscars didn't fit in MacFarlane's schedule because he's currently busy preparing for his next film, a comedy titled A Million Ways to Die in the West, which will star MacFarlane, Charlize Theron and Amanda Seyfried.  He is also planning a sequel to his blockbuster 2012 comedy, Ted.

The 86th Academy Awards will go on without him on Sunday, March 2, 2014, from inside the Dolby Theatre on level one of the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.  It will air live on ABC.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Great news for Downton Abbey fans who may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms due to the lack of new episodes at the present time.

The New York Post reports Brendan Coyle, the actor who portrays the valet Mr. Bates, and Lesley Nicol, the actress who plays the cook Mrs. Patmore, will be auctioning themselves on May 30 to benefit the Origin Theatre Company in New York City.

Last year, someone paid $20,000 to read poetry to Coyle in a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park, followed by dinner.  This year, Coyle is adding the opportunity to have lunch with him in London. 

Nicol is offering a lucky bidder the chance to have tea with her at Tea and Sympathy in Manhattan. 

Additional details can be found at Biddingforgood.com.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

George Doyle/Stockbyte/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- In light of the real-life devastation that tornados are causing in the Midwest, CBS has decided to postpone the finale of the sitcom Mike & Molly, which dealt with a tornado hitting Chicago.

“Due to the tragic events this afternoon in Oklahoma, we are pre-empting tonight’s season finale of Mike & Molly, which has a related storyline,” a CBS spokesperson tells ABC News in a statement. “A repeat broadcast of Mike & Molly will run in the time period.”

On Monday, a huge tornado ripped through Oklahoma City, delivering a “direct hit” on an elementary school. The twister is just one of more than 50 devastating storms that have ravaged the Midwest since Sunday, leaving dozens of people dead and injured.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio