Bill Bailey has been crowned the winner of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The comedian and his professional partner Oti Mabuse beat fellow finalists Maisie Smith, HRVY and Jamie Laing to win the BBC ballroom competition during Saturday’s emotional live finale.
It also marked the second consecutive Strictly win for Oti, who becomes the first professional to achieve this in the show’s 16-year history.
After hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced the winner, Bill said it “feels surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels wonderful. I never thought that we would get this far”.
He continued: “I had the most extraordinary teacher, the most extraordinary dancer, who believed in me right from the beginning and she found something in me, turned me into this, into a dancer.”
Praising her “amazing, remarkable” partner, Oti – who won last year’s series with former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher – said: “You just put your heart into everything, you put your soul into everything. You’re in your world but I love your world…
“Thank you for being a friend, a father figure to me, a brother and for this,” she said of the Glitterball.
While the judges’ scores were for guidance only, Bill and Oti finished joint first on the leader board after performing three routines, picking up 88 points out of a possible 90.
The final saw them reprise their Quickstep to Talk To The Animals from the musical Doctor Dolittle and their Couple’s Choice Street routine to Rapper’s Delight by Sugarhill Gang.
Both dances picked up 29 points, while their Show Dance – set to Queen’s The Show Must Go On – picked up their first perfect 30 of the series.
Both Maisie and Gorka Marquez and HRVY and Janette Manrara also netted 88 points after their performances, while Jamie and Karen Hauer finished up with 84.
There were a number of emotional moments during the finale, which came just hours after Boris Johnson announced a string of new coronavirus measures that cancelled Christmas for millions of people, and disrupted plans of millions more.
Tess Daly opened the show by telling viewers: “If ever people needed cheering up, it’s now.
“After another tough day, we are going to try our very best to keep you entertained with an unforgettable night of dance.”
Claudia Winkleman later choked back tears as she paid tribute to the extraordinary efforts of the show’s cast and crew to get the show on air and keep in there.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood, known for his sharp tongue, also referenced the prime minister’s announcement, following the rapid spread of the new variant coronavirus.
“In light of the recent news, I’ve decided I’m going to be positive. You may not recognise me,” he said.
Contestant HRVY also burst into tears after reprising his American Smooth to One from the musical A Chorus Line.
“I can’t believe I’m crying in front of millions of people. It was such a moment.”
Judge Motsi Mabuse was also seen in floods of tears at the end of the show, after watching her sister Oti win the show for the second time.
This year’s finale also saw the return of Nicola Adams and Katya Jones to the dancefloor, as they performed a non-competitive routine.
The pair made history as the show’s first same-sex couple but had to withdraw early after Katya tested positive for Covid-19.
The Duchess of Cornwall made an appearance on the show in a pre-recorded clip speaking about the joy of the BBC show, as part of a video compilation of messages from viewers and celebrities.