After seemingly endless weeks of grueling rehearsals and memorable performances three couples - Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas; Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd; and William Levy and Cheryl Burke - were left vying for the coveted mirror-ball trophy during two nights of competition.

And the winners are ... Donald and Peta!

"Amazing!" Donald shouted when asked how he felt by host Tom Bergeron, who handed the couple the mirror-ball trophy as confetti fell in the ballroom and his former competitors from throughout the season congratulated them.

Katherine and Mark finished in second place, and William and Cheryl landed in third. "It was an amazing experience," William said. "I'm going to miss all of you."

"Thank you so much Mark," Katherine told her partner. "It's been an absolute dream." "I had a wonderful time working with Katherine," he said. "She's an angel."

For the final performance of the season, Donald and Peta did crowd-pleasing cha cha that earned - you guessed it! - another perfect 30. Len offered the NFL star this compliment: "We've had some great footballers on the show over the years," he said. "My feeling is you're the best we've had."

Jaleel White and partner Kym Johnson got their groove back with a crowd-pleasing cha cha on Dancing with the Stars Monday - but some other contestants struggled to keep up with the competition. Gladys Knight's rumba Monday night just didn't have the smooth moves of the Temptations or the rhythm of Smokey Robinson. So she and partner Tristan MacManus ended up as one of the final bottom couples, along with Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower, whose rumba wasn't much better.

Gladys and Tristan are heading home.

The singer and her partner faced off in a dance duel with Roshon and Chelsie. After both couples performed a jive, the judges voted. Although Carrie Ann Inaba chose to save Gladys, both Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli picked Roshon.

"I am just so amazed at this journey. It's been absolutely extraordinary. I learned so many things ... I'm just overjoyed," Gladys said after hearing the news that her time on the show had ended.

Of the remaining contestants, who'll be back on Monday to perform once again, she added, "They are already stepping up way, way, way beyond anything that's ever been on this show."

Melissa Gilbert had the most challenging phase in Dancing with the Stars. She shared the complete incidence with her fans and this is what she had to say:Maks and I had a bit of an accident Monday night. The moment it happened, I had no idea what had gone wrong. My head hurt a lot and I assumed I'd hit it on the dance floor.

Things were spinning a bit for me when the judges gave their critiques. In fact, by the time I got up to the skybox I had no idea what they'd said.

I remember snippets; I remember Gavin carrying me down the stairs. I remember Maks trying to keep me from closing me eyes; I remember some of the ambulance rides, my boyfriend making me laugh through my tears. I remember the X-ray and, boy oh boy, do I remember the headache! I've never had a concussion before. It is not fun. I pray that it's something I never experience again. I must admit though, I'm having a hard time getting my sexy, dancer mojo back. I'm being a bit self-protective, a bit tentative and I'm finding it hard to just let go and have fun. So, that is my goal this week - to let go and have fun.

Yes, I was hurt. Yes, it was scary but, that was then ... this is now ... It's time to believe again!

Although Melissa Gilberthas been banged up with a floor burn, cuts, scrapes and sore muscles, she delivered what judge Bruno Tonioli called her "best performance by far" on Monday's Dancing with the Stars.

Then moments after finishing the paso doble with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the actress was sent to the hospital. "She injured herself," host Tom Bergeron announced on the air Monday night, "and as a precaution she's gone to the hospital to get checked out."

There was no immediate word on the nature or extent of her injury. But Gilbert, 47, wrote in her exclusive PEOPLE blog before the show that "this week of Dancing has been a killer."

Gilbert tweeted the news in the wee hours of the night: "I'm alright. Mild concussion and whiplash. Very soon I will be safely home resting and being taken care of."