ORE LIFTS THE STRICTLY TITLE
Oduba dances his way to coveted title
TELEVISION presenter Ore Oduba broke down in tears as he and partner Joanne Clifton were crowned Strictly Come Dancing champions 2016 last night.
The BBC news and sports broadcaster had received no dance training prior to taking part on the show and finished top of the leaderboard on Saturday night.
The pair collected the glitterball trophy ahead of favourite Danny Mac and partner Oti Mabuse and former pop star Louise Redknapp, who was partnered with Joanne’s brother, Kevin Clifton.
Oduba, who in the lead-up to the final was quoted as saying he did not even dance at his own wedding, was left speechless as he was handed the trophy.
He thanked his dance partner, production crew and judges before telling Clifton: “I love you with all of my heart.
“I’m so speechless. I just want to say thank you.”
The 30-year-old added: “This has been the most incredible experience of my life, I’ve learned to dance, I’ve made a best friend, I’ve been on the show that I loved for 12 years.”
An emotional Clifton said she “can’t believe it” and told Oduba “you’re a dancer” before the pair were lifted in the air by the show’s professional dancers and celebrities.
Each duo performed three separate routines in the final, which marked the last time head judge Len Goodman would preside over the dance floor.
Oduba, watched by his wife and parents in the audience, collected his first perfect 40 of the series in the final for a show dance to jazz hit I Got Rhythm, which was praised by Goodman, who said he “couldn’t have asked for anything more”.
They also scored 40 for their jive to Bruno Mars’ hit Runaway Baby from week four, which Craig Revel Horwood called “virtuosic” and Bruno Tonioli said was “sheer perfection”.
Their first dance was a take on the Gene Kelly classic I’m Singin’ In The Rain, which was watched by Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward, after she had praised the routine when the couple first performed it in week three.
The routine, an American smooth, was lauded as “heaven to watch” whilst Oduba said having Ward there was “hard to top”.
This year’s competition marks the show’s most-watched series in its distinguished 12-year history, with an average of 11.3 million viewers tuning in to BBC One’s flagship entertainment show on Saturday nights.