The Strictly Come Dancing final takes place this weekend, with one impressive couple set to lift the coveted Glitterball trophy and be crowned the new champions of the BBC show.
Last weekend's semi final saw CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson and professional partner Nancy Xu miss out on a chance to dance in the final, after losing to John Whaite and Johannes Radebe in the dreaded dance-off.
Ahead of Saturday night's grand finale, body language expert Darren Stanton predicts 'frontrunner' AJ Odudu will be victorious, despite facing stiff competition from an 'emotional' John and an 'effortless' Rose Ayling-Ellis...
AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington
"AJ narrowly managed to escape being voted off in the quarter-final, so all eyes were on her as she took to the dance floor on Saturday. The judges were keeping a watchful eye on AJ and her partner Kai and it’s clear the pair worked hard to up their game. AJ has the potential to be the eventual winner and this could be thanks to her strengthened connection with Kai as shown on the dance floor on Saturday.
"They were moving around as if physically connected as one person. The strength of their bond has reached new heights, with their near exit bringing them even closer together. Their body language was without fault throughout their performance and the hook at the end of the dance, the prolonged eye contact and general physicality between them shows the pair have built a very deep state of rapport between them.
"Even the judges seem to think so, Anton was very complimentary about AJ, while Craig was the most positive he has been about AJ throughout the entire competition. Shirley put on a hugely passionate and animated display - clenching her fists and engaging her face - while delivering her feedback for the couple and her comments were truly heartfelt. I would even go as far to say AJ could emerge as the frontrunner as the final nears in the coming days and go on to lift the Glitterball trophy."
"She has had her low points but has worked incredibly hard every week. With a strong family support network behind her, it’s clear from her emotions that getting into the final and potentially winning is definitely the sole focus of her attention. You can just tell she loves the show as a fan first and foremost.
"Similarly the connection between her Kai Is also very strong. I believe out of all of the three competitors, even though it is incredibly important to all of them p for me, AJ is the one that stands out as being the most hungry to win of the three of them. I firmly believe AJ and Kai will win the competition.
"AJ has the most determined, passionate and confident expression on her face when she’s been asked about being in the final and potentially winning. It's almost like an Olympic athlete before competing for a medal."
John Whaite and Johannes Radebe
"John and Johannes have expressed themselves as two incredibly emotional guys throughout the series and their moving performances on the dance floor proved the pair are deeply in the same zone. You can see how much winning the competition would mean to them, and their amazing level of performance is second to none.
"John has definitely maintained, if not increased his game week in, week out, and he is a man who seems to wear his heart on his sleeve - what you see is what you get with him. It’s no question how hard he and Johannes have worked over the weeks they’ve spent on the show together and it was obvious from the outset that the pair clicked straight away."
"John has worked very hard from the outset and was focused on doing his best each week. He wasn't over confident, and I don’t believe his focus was ever on the final or winning. However, each week he has tried to do his best despite having a few shaky weeks.
"Meanwhile, I have witnessed the level and depth of connection and rapport between John and Johannes get stronger and stronger each week - they are two dancers who really understand each other."
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice
"Last week, Rose looked like she was nervous and had lost confidence in her ability, but for the semi-final she was back to her best and the difference on Saturday was incomparable. It’s not surprising that all of the remaining couples pulled out the stops for the semi-final, but it’s fair to say Rose ended up stealing the show. Her performances were very seamless, you could even say almost effortless.
"While her Waltz saw her impeccably in sync with Giovanni, her confidence shined through during the Argentine Tango where she asserted just as much dominance as her dance partner. Rose’s performance this week moved the judges, as Anton appeared slightly more emotional than normal when giving Rose her feedback and an overwhelmed Motsi was seen with a tear in her eye, commenting on how Rose's Waltz had been the 'dance of the night'."
"Out of the final three couples, Rose is the one that has progressed and learnt and developed the most. In doing so, the public have also taken her to their hearts.
"That is based on receiving a couple of low scores in previous weeks. But I believe this motivated her to work even harder and it was clear from the show in terms of her eye contact, posture and general confidence that she was projecting that she was determined to be in the final three.
*Strictly Come Dancing's final airs Saturday December 18 at 7.00pm on BBC One
Body language expert Darren Stanton is a former police officer with a degree in psychology, who used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He was writing for the Mirror in association with Betfair Casino
