PureDWTS Season 21 Finale Night 2 Media And Interviews, CONGRATULATIONS Bindi Irwin And Derek Hough

Where do we start? I’m so excited about Derek and Bindi winning!! And huge kudos to Nick Carter and Alek Skarlatos as well. They are all winners and class acts! What a season! With an exception to a couple of bumps, it was one of my favorites. For media and interviews, first visit E Online for some cool interviews. Also, see Pure Derek Hough for new interviews, photos, and screencaps with Bindi and Derek. Below is more. Be sure to read all the links for the full articles and interviews.

From People:

After her win, Irwin told PEOPLE she was in disbelief.

“This has been such a special experience. I can’t believe this has happened,” Irwin told PEOPLE. Carter, who landed in second place, shouted his congrats to the new champion.

“I’ve grown a ton doing this show and I learned things that I’ll take with me the rest of my life,” Carter told PEOPLE afterwards.

Skarlatos landed in third place, with the Paris train hero calling the show “the craziest ride” of his life.

“I could have gotten fifth or sixth place and still been happy,” he told PEOPLE. “Getting third is just gravy. I never thought I’d ever do anything like this at all.”

From FOX411:

Bindi told FOX411 of her future plans, “Next is going home, back to Australia to be with all of the animals and continue on with all of our conservation work and carry on in my dad’s footsteps.”

Bindi works tirelessly for Wildlife Warriors, which was started in 2002 by her father and mother and helps to rescue and rehabilitate animals all over the world, from elephants in Cambodia to tigers in Sumatra.

“There’s so much left to be done,” Bindi said.

Bindi will soon travel to Australia with Hough and teach him how to “feed crocodiles and cuddle tigers and kiss koalas!”

She plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, including wakeboarder boyfriend Chandler Powell.

Meanwhile, second place finisher Carter is looking forward to having a baby boy this spring with his wife Lauren. The couple announced they were expecting and learned the sex of their baby live on “DWTS.”

Carter told reporters Tuesday night, “I’m excited. I’m taking a couple of months off, well-needed, to spend with my wife and really cater to her in this time and then in April, take a little time off there as well when the baby comes.”

With Thanksgiving looming, Carter said, “I’m thankful for the cast, the pros, the production because with that hard work and everything we had to do, it opened my heart again and gave me some confidence. It brought back a Nick Carter that kind of was hidden for a little while.”

Carter wasn’t disappointed in losing to Bindi, saying, “She deserved it.”

Viewers learned on Tuesday night’s show that third place finisher Skarlatos would be joining the upcoming “DWTS” tour.

He told reporters after the show, “They asked me and I was really surprised. I decided to do it because I made so many friends and I just want to keep it going.

“It’s been a crazy journey … life can change in a heartbeat.”

Skarlatos, who helped disarm an alleged terrorist on a Paris-bound train this summer, said, “I never thought this [show] would happen, I never thought I’d be alive, frankly, so everything is gravy. I can’t have a bad day.”

He also has other plans beyond the “DWTS” tour: “We might be working on a book.”

From USA Today:

It’s been a whirlwind few months for Army National Guard Specialist Skarlatos, who became an international hero in August when he and friends Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler subdued an armed terrorist suspect on a French train. The dancing newcomer enjoyed his experience so much that he is joining the Dancing with the Stars: Live! Dance All Night Tour. The 43-city tour starts Dec. 15 in Salt Lake City and runs through Feb.14.

“I do like (dancing) a lot. I’m still trying to improve as much as I can and I’m looking forward to hanging out with all the great people I’ve met on the show on tour,” Skarlatos said during an interview on the dance floor after the show.

That includes pro partner Arnold. “I am so proud of him,” she said. “He has grown so much and come such a long way. I am just so happy I could be his teacher this season.”

Skarlatos said he has been “amazed” by the strong public support, including the backing of fans who applaud his heroism.

“I never thought this many people would have my back. The people who support me and Lindsay are the reasons I made it this far,” he said. As for his friends, “They’re hilarious. They give me a hard time, but they’re so proud of me. And I’m incredibly grateful that they’ve supported me.”

ABC7:

ET:

JC’s Periscopes behind the scenes:

ETA: Be to see Stormy’s Tumbler page for DWTS All Access coverage from last night.

ETA2: Glamour has a “behind the scenes ” report as well….and fun photos too.

ETA3: Afterbuzz is starting to upload their interviews. Be watching here for more to be uploaded soon (I hope).