So that is really is another year of Strictly over, and I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has read and shared this blog, along with all of you who have turned up every week and been entirely hilarious and insightful in the comment box, or popped by and said hello on Twitter (@heidistephens, in case you haven’t). This has grown into a brilliant community of Strictly fans, and it makes this blog so much more of a pleasure to write. I really cannot thank you enough.
That’s my liveblogging duties done for another year (no Christmas special blog, sorry), but I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy 2016 – we’ll do this same time next year, yeah?
Thanks again, and keeeeeep dancing! Hx
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Jay looks properly shellshocked. The pair of them have an incredible chemistry, it’s been an extraordinary dance partnership to watch. Am really happy for them.
And FINALLY, it’s time to announce the winner! The 2015 Strictly Come Dancing champions are…JAY AND ALIONA.
WELL. I thought they might lose it this evening, but the fan force was too strong. Not the finish they would have wanted, but it didn’t matter in the end.
Poor Kevin…so close, but yet so far. Maybe next year.
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Time for a final judges’ montage. Len says it’s the most exciting series ever. Hmm, I’m not sure that’s entirely true, is it?
Ooh, a plug for the Christmas special! I was there for the recording of this, it was brilliant. Worth it for Shirley Bassey alone.
Time for a final dance from the Class of Strictly 2015. DOD is singing into a hairbrush, Anthony is boxing, Carol has an umbrella and Pasha is under a cloud. Jeremy is on his giant plastic horse, Jamelia is demonstrating that she was actually a really good dancer, Peter Andre is leaping, Helen and Anita are getting hurled around and this is all kind of amazing, in a batshit kind of way.
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Goodness, will this ever end? This is the longest VT of all time.
The vote it now closed! Time for another montage. If there is any alcohol left in your house, drink it now.
Time for a musical interlude, courtesy of Ellie Goulding doing the song from 50 Shades. If you want to recreate the next three minutes in your own time, just go into the kitchen, put on a blindfold and pop a fishbone into the blender.
Text from daughter: “If Jay doesn’t win I’m going to be VERY upset”. Well, that settles it then. Family always comes first, Jay it is.
Hang on, there’s 20 minutes to go. How the hell are we going to fill that?
So here’s where I am. Even thought I was a bit disappointed with Jay and Aliona’s first two dances tonight, they’ve still been my favourite all series. But I loved Georgia’s Charleston, and Giovanni has really grown on me. Yet technically Kevin and Kellie outshone the other two couples tonight. But Jay is still the better dancer overall, I think, and he’s had a JOURNEY. But so has Georgia.
OH GOD I’M SO CONFUSED.
Scores: 9,10,10,10 – a final 39 for Kellie and Kevin. Which puts them at the top of the purely notional leaderboard, and Jay and Aliona at the bottom. I genuinely have no idea how this is going to go.
Craig thought Kellie was one of the most exciting performers in the competition, especially as she’s working two jobs. Darcey thought she was the princess of precision, with incredible timing. Len thought she put the star in Star Wars, he loves watching Kellie and Kevin dance and thinks they deserve to win. Bruno thought it was better the second time round, with more wit, inventiveness and attention to detail.
Yep, still bonkers. Still don’t like it, not as good as Georgia and Giovanni. I’m quite tired now.
Maybe it would help if I’d ever watched Star Wars?
Next up it’s Kellie and Kevin – they have chosen their Charleston from Movie Week, to ‘Starwars Cantina Band’ by John Williams. This is a shameless attempt to leverage the current Star Wars mania, and to be honest I wasn’t that fussed about all the moonwalking in tights first time round.
Having just watched a Charleston, AND KK’s Lindyhop in their Showdance, I’m not sure I can be arsed with another swivel-fest. I already know how far apart Kellie’s legs go, I don’t need a recap.
Scores: 10,10,10,10 – full marks for Georgia, and she’s giving Kellie a run for her money on the screaming. It’s all got emotional.
Bruno thought it was a sparkling cracker of a Charleston, and one of Bruno’s favourite dances of the series. Craig thought Georgia has had one of the biggest journeys of the series (DRINK), and would be very proud to put Georgia into any of his West End shows. MORE CRYING. Darcey thought it was quirky, and they nailed it. Len thought it was pure joy – Georgia is a little fireball who always gives it plenty of welly.
Well this is still fabulous, probably my favourite Charleston of the series. A joy from start to finish, loved it.
It’s time for Georgia and Giovanni! For their final dance, they have chosen their Charleston to ‘Hot Honey Rag’ from Chicago. This was from the week I went to Strictly, and was entirely brilliant – they also got three tens from the judges.
Georgia is crying again. DRINK.
Scores: 9,10,10,10 – a total of 39 for Jay and Aliona. Oh Craig, could you not have wanged out a ten, just to be nice? It’s not like it matters.
Len thought Jay has been the most consistent dancer since week one, and that Paso was no exception. Bruno thought it was bigger, better and more powerful than ever, with some of the best arm movements they’ve seen from any male contestant. Craig thought Jay had no personality at the start, but now Jay has drive and passion and dances brilliantly. Darcey loved the confidence, strength and shaping, and Jay is number one in Darcey’s book.
If this final had a theme, it would be Terrible Music Choice Night. 80s soft rock does not a Paso make, but this definitely has a good deal more thrust and intent than last time round. Much sharper footwork too, I watched the original version of this earlier and this feels like a different dance. LOVED that.
On a separate note, if I was Jon Bon Jovi I’d unleash my lawyers for that vocal.
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In their montage (drink), Aliona calls Jay the best dance partner she’s ever had. Feel the BURN, Harry Judd.
First up it’s Jay and Aliona! They’ve chosen their Week 5 Paso Doble to ‘It’s My Life’ by Bon Jovi. This is the one that Bruno described as the “bull’s bollocks”, but Craig wanted more menace and attitude. Obviously we’d all love to see their Week 3 Jive again, but I sort of get why they’d want to show how much he’s improved, menace-wise, rather than just re-visit something that was already brilliant.
That said, this evening hasn’t quite panned out quite as expected, and they may well be regretting that decision.
So three couples remain, and it’s time for them to dance their favourite routine of the series.
A reminder of the phone numbers to call, nobody is risking phone hands at this critical stage.
Time for a Katie montage. If you ever stopped drinking, start now.
So, first job of the night is to send one couple home, and that couple is…KATIE AND ANTON! Well, that wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Another recap, in case you’ve forgotten what happened an hour ago. Drink until you can drink no more.
Claudia has changed into a maroon curtain, whilst Tess is wearing John Travolta’s suit from Saturday Night Fever. Foul.
And we’re off! The first half of tonight’s final was a bit shaky in places, would be good to redeem things with a cracking final round, so we don’t all go to bed feeling like we’ve been mugged.
STRICTLY FINAL PART TWO!
So, did we all have a lovely dinner? I had roast chicken and veg, and a big mug of tea. It was very nice, but not a Showdance of a meal. Needed more seasoning, maybe a bit of gravy.
Right, let’s get the results show on the road. In the immortal words of Yazz (with or without her plastic population), the only way is up.
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So that’s IT for part one - you now have an hour to place your vote, eat some dinner, open a couple more bottles and watch Casualty, should you be so inclined. But whatever you do, make sure you’re back here for 9pm for the results! See you then!
“To have made it this far is just baffling”, says Katie. Understatement of the night.
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Well, that selection of Showdances didn’t quite live up to expectations, if I’m honest. So far this evening has been a tiny bit disappointing, Kellie and Kevin aside. But maybe everything will change in the final dance? Currently I am underwhelmed.
I’m also annoyed with Aliona for not choreographing a better Showdance, I think she and Jay might have blown it. My mum rang me earlier and warned me this might happen.
Ooh, time for another recap. Keep drinking, it’s the only way.
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Scores: 7,8,8,8 - a total of 31 for Katie and Anton.
Darcey loved the tension and drama, and Katie’s nerves didn’t quite live up to the intensity of the music. Len thought the music overpowered the dance, and Bruno thought it was all-conquering at the beginning and a bit stumbly by the end. Craig didn’t take to the dance at all – it was rigid and stiff, but Katie has done herself proud.
So, what does Anton have up his sleeve for us? Fireworks galore (start drinking), a massive plinth and plenty of drama. Katie looks entirely out of her depth and is struggling to maintain her frame, but you can’t fault the ambition. She falls off the plinth at the end into Anton’s arms, and I’m really glad that’s over.
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And finally it’s Katie and Anton! They’re performing their Showdance to ‘O Fortuna’ by Carl Orff. You may recognise this tune from the judges’ entry on The X Factor, unless you’re old enough to remember the Old Spice TV ad. I like to think Anton has bathed in Old Spice beforehand, he looks the type.
Anton has never done a Showdance before and probably never will again, so who the hell knows what he’s thrown into this. My guess is everything he knows about ballroom, and absolutely no Latin whatsoever.
Scores: 10,10,10,10 - a nother perfect score for Kellie and Kevin.
Wardrobe really have delivered their final punishment, haven’t they? Kellie looks like a 70s lampshade.
Craig thought it was A-MA-ZING, and Darcey agrees that it was extraordinary. Len thought Kevin was the ding-dong-daddy, and Kellie is the belle of the ball – that’s a showdance. Bruno thought they delivered their A-game at the perfect moment.
They could win this, you know.
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OK, bring on the Lindyhop. This gets off to a very promising start, with buckets of pace from Kellie and Kevin. She’s a fabulous dancer, and the timing and technique on this is pretty impressive. Great lifts and tricks too, but occasionally a bit scruffy around the edges.
Completely bonkers, but THAT’S what you call a Showdance.
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It’s time for Kellie and Kevin! They’re performing their Showdance to ‘Ding-Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line’ by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. I’m assuming this will give plenty of scope for what Kellie and Kevin do best – fast-paced, high energy dancing with plenty of gurning and theatricality. Last year Kevin did a wafty ballroom affair with Frankie, I suspect they’re going to give this both barrels, and then some.
If Kellie and Kevin give me Show in their Showdance, they could become my last-minute favourites. Better late than never.
Scores: 9,9,9,9 - another 36 for Georgia and Giovanni.
Bruno was taken from 50 Shades to the world of ballroom – he loved the style, chemistry and intensity, but her shoulder was wonky again. Craig loved the Tango and Viennese stuff, and particularly loved the blindfold section. Darcey thought it was a wonderful lyrical start, and Len agrees that it had great intensity and a great fusion of dances.
Georgia is blindfolded, and Giovanni has too many clothes on for my liking. The first lift is quite hard work, but then the pace picks up, the blindfold comes off and it all gets quite spinny. Mostly this is just spinning, it’s a Showdance based on a Waltzer, with a blindfold. Super-intense, but I have no idea what just happened.
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Georgia is crying. DRINK.
Next up it’s Georgia and Giovanni – they are dancing their Showdance to ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay. From this I’m guessing it’s going to be some kind of contempo-wafty interpretive dance involving bare feet, a dress made of voile curtains, a vague nod to Rumba and lots of dramatic lifts. Caroline and Pasha did one last year and it turned out pretty well for them, to be fair.
Scores: 8,9,9,9 – a total of 35 for Jay and Aliona.
Len thought it was a trip down memory lane, but he would have liked more show in the Showdance, with more excitement. Bruno got a bit wrong-footed by the exciting start, but it was actually a very well put-together greatest hits. Craig was a bit disappointed – it was a great compilation but it wasn’t a showdance and needed a bigger finish. Darcey loved the technique, but she wanted a surprise and for Jay to go out with a bang.
Well this is awkward.
Jay kicks off hanging upside down, like a bat, and Aliona is wearing bright yellow knickers. Not really sure about this, if I’m honest, it’s a lot of everything and not really something, if you know what I mean.
The pace picks up towards the end but the transitions between styles feel really clunky. Really wanted to love that, but didn’t. Wasn’t really a Showdance. Oh.
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First up it’s Jay and Aliona! They’re performing their Showdance to ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ by The Weeknd. Have never quite worked out if this track is about drugs, bondage or extreme dentistry, but it’s one of my favourite songs of the year, so am very much hoping the dance will deliver likewise.
They’ve created a compilation (DRINK) of all their dances this series, which could be brilliant or could be a Jive Bunny-style hot mess.
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Right, it’s SHOWDANCE TIME! The general gist of Showdance is as follows: show off all the dance you’ve learned in the past three months, and cram in as many impressive lifts and spins as possible. Try to make it look like a dance of some kind if you possibly can, rather than an aerobics workout. When you’ve exhausted all the lifts you know, do an impression of Liesl from the Sound Of Music leaping around a circle of benches, or possibly someone schooling a horse. Throw in a big finish and some fireworks.
Talking of which, I’m pining for Gleb’s Showdance, littered with rampant crabs, ankle-swinging and face/crotch lifts. How amazing would that have been? Sigh.
The vote is OPEN. Meanwhile in the Clauditorium, Jamelia is dry-humping an inflatable saxophone. Make of that what you will.
First montage of the night! DRINK!
Scores: 7,8,8,8 - a total of 31 for Katie and Anton. Remind me how they ended up in the final again?
My daughter has just texted “Katie is orange”. She really is.
Darcey thought Katie delivered right until the very end, when it all got a bit under pressure. Len thought Katie kept up more or less, but there were a couple of patchy moments. That said, her posture was fabulous. Bruno loved the presentation, but it was bumpy in places. Craig thought she struggled with the hat at the beginning, and there was gapping throughout, but it was a major improvement.
Oh thank goodness, sensible music in the form of 42nd Street. Katie’s timing and footwork is better, but by no means perfect. That said, this is a lovely Quickstep with bags of content and paces. The side-by-side bit at the end is horrible, but otherwise a much better effort.
And finally for this round, it’s Katie and Anton – the judges have chosen their Quickstep, which Katie couldn’t keep up with first time round and only scored 26.
Incidentally, why is Darcey wearing a gorilla suit in the Tiny Cinema?
Scores: 10,10,10,10 - DRINK DRINK DRINK IT WILL DROWN OUT THE SCREAMING
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Craig thought it was phenomenal – sharp and clean and it couldn’t have been any more dynamic. FAB-U-LUSS. Darcey thought Kellie’s topline is yummy, and she gave it plenty of attack. Len thought they’d ironed out all the kinks (so punned out already), and Bruno thought it was how you rock a Tango - it was different, but still exactly what a Tango should be.
Four tens, anyone?
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Well this is much punchier Tango from Kellie and Kevin, with vastly improved top line and much sharper turns too. Another weird music choice for a Tango, however (The Kinks), and Kevin mouthing the words hasn’t got any less annoying. Again, not my favourite Tango of the series, but a big improvement on first time round.
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It’s time for Kellie and Kevin – the judges have chosen their Tango from Week 1, which feels like years ago. It was a great dance, but the judges want to see a sharper, fierier version.
Scores: 9,9,9,9 - another 36 for Georgia and Giovanni.
Bruno was totally smitten by the sex kitten – he loved the extended lines and it had much more content, but Georgia had a balance issue. Craig loved the hip action and the drama and intensity, and it had great sophistication. Darcey thought it delivered all the goods, and Len loved the content – so much better, and double-oh heaven. See what Len did there?
Giovanni can be my James Bond any day, and Georgia looks all kinds of fabulous in a sparkly dress with more holes than dress. Georgia’s hip action is much better, but still not much Rumba that I can see. But if they’re marking on passion and intensity, that’s a ten from me.
Next up it’s Georgia and Giovanni – the judges have chosen their Rumba from Movie Week. They only got 27 for this first time round, due to lack of hip action and a lack of basic Rumba. Len has asked them to change it, is that allowed? Surely that’s a completely new dance? Harrumph.
Claudia’s dress is horrible, but they have Mary Berry on to read the Terms and Conditions, accompanied by the Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy so everything is forgiven.
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Scores: 9,9,9,9 - a total of 36 for Jay and Aliona. Of course the judges’ scores count for nothing this evening, but the BBC have paid them so they might as well contribute.
Len points out there were a couple of mistakes, but it was quick and slick and a vast improvement on last time round. Bruno thought it was Aliona that went wrong, but the content was incredible despite the stumble. Craig agrees that it wasn’t perfect, but Jay danced with great ease and maintained his frame throughout. Darcey thought it had great complexity and was divine – fantastic even with the tiny mistakes.
I don’t remember much about this dance, other than it being not as good as the Jive from the previous week. ‘My Generation’ by The Who is still a weird choice, but Jay’s footwork is much more assured and he looks a good deal happier about being there. Still a bit clunky in places, however – by no means my favourite Quickstep of this series. The music is AWFUL.
Out come the celeb couples! The first dance of the night is Judges’ Choice, and Jay and Aliona are up first. The judges have chosen their Quickstep from Week 4, and have swapped last year’s Dark Room Of Tension for a very tiny cinema.
Jay and Aliona made a mistake in this Quickstep last time round, can they get it right this time?
TESS AND CLAUDIA DRESS WATCH: Tess in a grey coffin lining accessorised with a weightlifting belt, Claudia in another black sack. Love Darcey’s sparkly mermaid dress, however. 5/10.
Opening dance – a dance version of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ with lots of filming in corridors ad dressing rooms. Craig is ironing, Jeremy Vine is wearing a shower cap. Love the continuous shot style, and now finally we’re on the dance floor.
Georgia, Jay, Katie and Kellie make a grand entrance in sparkly picture frames and descend from the heavens. Well that was bloody marvellous.
Soak up the Strictly feem tune, we’re not going to hear it again for ages. Other than at 9pm. And on Christmas Day. Oh never mind.
And we’re off! 15 couples started out three months ago, but after months of punishing performances it all comes down to tonight’s three dances *cue drums of tension and windtunnel shots*
Right, is everyone ready? Drink? Check. Snacks? Check. Sparkly liveblog pyjamas? Check.
It’s the final. Let’s smash this thing.
Ooh, we need a final game of Strictly Come Bingo! It’s a long night, so I’ll keep things simple – a slug of something festive for any occurrence of the following:
• Four tens
• Phone hands
• Montages
• Mentions of the J-word (Journey, not Jay)
• Fireworks
• Crying
Here’s a better way to pass the time before Strictly - If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, Jonathan Freedman’s opinion piece yesterday about Strictly is well worth ten minutes of your time.
Tonight’s Pointless “Celebrities” is a special reality TV edition. It includes Ruth Badger and Nikki from Big Brother. I don’t have nearly enough mute buttons for this.
Anyway, back to tonight. I did a highly unscientific poll on Twitter last week asking who will win tonight’s final, and the results were fairly conclusive.
So who's gonna win Strictly?:
— Heidi Stephens (@heidistephens) December 13, 2015
I think the only question here is whether Katie and Anton or Kellie and Kevin will get booted first. My money’s on Katie and Anton. Any advances?
So, how many years do you think I have to do this before I get to air my glittery opinions on It Takes Two? SIX YEARS, BBC. Just saying.
Evening all, and welcome to the 2015 Strictly Come Dancing Grand Final liveblog! After 15 weeks and more dances than you can shake your sparkly tail feathers at, it all comes down to tonight’s performances for our final four couples – Kellie and Kevin, Katie and Anton, Jay and Aliona and Georgia and Giovanni.
So here’s the drill for tonight’s show, so we can all plan our evening accordingly – everything kicks off at 6.35pm with all four couples dancing the judges’ favourite routine of the series, followed by their Showdance. Then we have a break for an hour to vote, eat dinner, powder our noses and replenish the booze supplies before the results show starts at 9pm. The couple with the lowest vote gets eliminated immediately (bye Anton), leaving the three remaining couples to dance their favourite dance of the series. Then more voting, a big group dance featuring all the contestants from this series, probably some kind of musical interlude (no idea who), a Tess Tension Pause that seems to go on for several weeks, lots of cheering, cheap glitterball trophy, Christmas.
The general consensus is that Jay and Aliona will take home the glitterball tonight, but for the first time the decision is entirely in the public’s hands, so who knows? I’m pretty confident that Katie and Anton will go out first, but then again I was pretty confident that Katie and Anton wouldn’t make it past Halloween, and look how that panned out.
Either way it should be a festive cracker of a final, made all the more splendid by you guys spreading a little magic and sparkle in the comment box down below. If you’ve been lurking up to now, feel free to make a grand entrance; you can never be too late to a party this big.
Pop on something glittery, grab a bottle or two, assemble your loved ones and we’ll get this party started.
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