Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse have shared an emotional video message recorded just moments after they were announced as this year’s Strictly Come Dancing winners.
The pair triumphed in Saturday night’s live final, and thanked the public for their support in a short clip posted on Strictly’s official Twitter page.
With both stars appearing teary-eyed and holding the glitterball trophy, the comedian said: “We cannot express in words what this means to us both. To everyone that voted for us, everyone that supported us, any message of support that we received… thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It means the world to us both.”
“It does,” Oti agreed. “And thank you to everyone that supported the show, it means the world to us.
“This show is everything to us, and it gave us hope. And you guys watching and supporting and voting for everyone means a lot.”
While throughout the series it’s the public vote and judges’ scores that determine who stays and who goes, things are a little different in the Strictly final, as it’s viewers alone who decide who is awarded the glitterball trophy.
This year’s final saw Bill coming out on top ahead of pop singer HRVY, EastEnders star Maisie Smith and reality TV personality Jamie Laing.
After being announced as the winner, Bill said: “I never thought we’d get this far, I never thought we’d get to the final.
“I have the most extraordinary teacher, the most extraordinary dance partner, someone who believed in me right from the beginning, and she found something in me, that turned me into this, turned me into a dance, thank you Oti. Thank you so much.”