Ordinary JOE

Down-to-earth Scot is single, unemployed and can’t quite believe he’s Strictly winner

HE WAS the public’s favourite as he lifted the famous Glitterball trophy.

But Strictly winner Joe McFadden has joked how he is now unemployed.

The Glasgow-born star made an explosive exit from Holby City earlier this month as his surgeon character was gunned down in a shooting spree.

And now his stint on Strictly has come to an end too.

Asked if he was unemployed, Joe said: “I am. I’ve just finished two jobs one after the other.”

But he said he was “very optimistic about the future” although he’d be having “a really good rest over Christmas”.

He is single but claims he has no idea if he has gained any new admirers. Joe said: “I have no idea. I haven’t been out in the world. I need to find out.”

Strictly attracted a peak of 13.1million viewers for his final against Alexandra Burke, Debbie McGee and Gemma Atkinson – which matched last year’s viewing figure.

It means that the 2010 series still holds the record for the biggest audience for a Strictly final. It attracted 14.3million viewers when Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev won.

Saturday night’s audience share was 55.9 per cent, up on last year’s figure of 53.5 per cent.

Figures compiled before the final showed that the 2017 series has been the most successful yet, attracting an average 11million viewers a week.

Joe became the oldest celebrity to win the contest at 42, while his dance partner Katya Jones enjoyed her first win on the BBC1 show.

The finalist shocked the audience by getting down on one knee after his showdance and pretending to propose to Katya.

After performing You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates, Joe produced a box from his pocket and plucked out an engagement ring as the music came to an end.

Presenter Tess Daly called him a “dreamy prince” after the romantic performance.

In the early stages of the competition Joe was linked to fellow Strictly star, Saturdays singer Mollie King, but he was quick to shut down those rumours branding them “flattering” but “ridiculous”.

He thanked his fans yesterday on Twitter, writing: “Did that really just happen? Thanks so much to the people who voted for us, we’re so grateful.”