“Dancing With the Stars” fans were delivered one final blow in the Season 24 finale. After dominating the competition all season long, Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy found themselves placing third in the shocking overall results.

After the shock wore off, the Fifth Harmony singer opened up about the unexpected results in an interview with ET Online. Normani was gracious, telling the publication that she gained more than the ABC show’s trophy could ever give her, and she was thankful, especially for her partner.

Read: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ 2017: Which Season 24 Duo Will Win The Mirrorball Trophy?

“You’re never really guaranteed,” she told ET. “It was quite a shocker for me as well, but I’ve gained so much from this experience. I’m so happy, and I can’t even begin to express you know the gratitude that I carry and the blessing especially because I have a lifelong friend now [in partner Val Chmerkovskiy].”

Val’s equally thankful for Normani and accepting of the “DWTS” Season 24 results. In an Instagram post, he revealed that working with Normani “was the absolute most fulfilling part” of being on the show this season. He praised her transformation, urging her to “Stay great.”

A post shared by instagram

While Normani and Val have been accepting of the results, fans are struggling to wrap their minds around how they placed in the competition. After the “DWTS” Season 24 finale aired, Twitter was flooded with disappointed reactions. Even Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui got in on the action.

The “DWTS” finale brought cast members past and present back for several dances. Simone Biles and Sasha Farber stole the show with flips, tricks and gold medal-worthy smiles. Between performances from “DWTS” amateurs and pros, a number of noteworthy stars — including Lady Antebellum, Hailee Steinfeld and OneRepublic— performed.

After all the glitz and glamour, it was time for the “DWTS” finalists to take the stage. The teams performed their favorite dances from Season 24 before returning to the ballroom for a scored 24-hour fusion performance. David Ross and Lindsay Arnold went first, followed by Normani and Val and Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater.

David and Lindsay wowed the judges with their Foxtrot-Salsa combo routine, which received a score of 36 out of 40. Normani and Val brought their A-Game, performing a perfectly scored Argentine Tango and Foxtrot routine. Last, but certainly not least, Rashad and Emma took the floor for a Cha Cha-Tango performance that earned them a score of 39 out of 40.

Hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews were then tasked with making the first official placement announcement. Much to their surprise, and the surprise of everyone around them, Normani and Val were the first team to fall short of their Mirrorball dreams. The pair took their loss in stride, but the disappointment was clear.

Read: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ 2017: Simone Biles Opens Up On Season 24 Elimination

From there, it was down to David and Lindsay or Rashad and Emma. In the days leading up to the finals, “DWTS” fans raised questions about the possibility of both of these teams — considered underdogs to some degree — winning Season 24. With moments left in the show, Rashad and Emma were crowned the winners.

The winning pair will appear on “Good Morning America” and “Live With Kelly & Ryan” on Wednesday morning to discuss their victory. For some of their appearances they’ll be joined by their runners-up.

RELATED STORIES
Instagram