STRICTLY THE BEST
MARION McMULLEN looks at some of the past winners who have danced their way to success
1 FORMER BBC presenter Natasha Kaplinsky was the first winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004. She and her professional partner Brendan Cole collected the highest marks for eight of the 10 dances and she finished 30 points ahead of runnerup, EastEnder Christopher Parker. Natasha traced her family roots in BBC’s Who Do you Think You Are? and was awarded an OBE in 2017 for services to the Holocaust Commission.
2 NO-NONSENSE Yorkshire cricketer Darren Gough bowled everyone over when he appeared on Strictly in 2005 with professional dancer Lilia Kopylova. He won despite never finishing top of the judges’ leaderboard and embraced his inner-Fred Astaire with a vengeance. The sportsman’s terrific Paso Doble to Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by The Animals earned 36 points.
3 STRICTLY certainly changed former Mis-Teeq singer Alesha Dixon’s life in 2007. She won the series with her fantastic Latin routines and went on to replace Arlene Phillips on the judging panel in 2009. She quit Strictly for Simon Cowell’s Britain’s Got Talent on ITV three years later.
4 EX-EASTENDER Kara Tointon and professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev proved a winning combination on and off the dance floor in 2010, dating for several years. Her poise drew gushing praise from the judges as well as votes from viewers. Kara went on to perform in the West End and is currently appearing alongside Stephen Mangan in comedy The Man In The White Suit.
5 GYMNAST Louis Smith won silver and bronze on the pommel horse for Britain at the 2012 Olympics before going on to the win the BBC dancing contest with Flavia Cacace. He topped off the year by winning Strictly for a second time during a panto-themed Christmas special and is now part of the UK tour of Rip It Up – The 70s.
6 MODEL and TV presenter Abbey Clancy had no formal dance training but waltzed away with the top prize with her partner Aljaz Skorjanec in 2013. She described her time on Strictly as “the most perfect experience I’ve ever had”. Abbey went on to host TV show Britain’s Next Top Model.
7 CAROLINE Flack got her TV break playing Bubbles on the sketch show Bo’ Selecta! before going on to host spin-off show The Xtra Factor for three years. A winning turn on Strictly in 2014 with Pasha Kovalev gave her a career boost and the following year she secured the job that has defined her public image since ... hosting ITV2’s Love
Island.
8 JAY McGuiness went from boy band The Wanted to lifting the glitterball trophy on the 13th series of Strictly. He is now starring in the West End in the musical version of the 1988 Tom Hanks movie Big.
9 BBC sports presenter Ore Oduba has seen his TV and radio career boom since he won Strictly in 2016. His Singin’ In The Rain performance with Joanne Clifton proved a turning point in the competition for him. Since then he and his wife Portia have become parents to baby son Roman and Ore will shortly be touring with Jason Manford in musical whodunit Curtains from the creators of Chicago and Cabaret.
10 DOCUMENTARY investigative reporter Stacey Dooley waltzed and tangoed her way to victory last year, but split up with her boyfriend Sam Tucknott after being struck by the Strictly “curse”. She and her professional dance partner Kevin Clifton are now an item and Stacey has gone on to front make-up show Glow Up and make further TV documentary specials.