The Irish Mail on Sunday

Extraordin­ary Joe

Holby City star who began as rank outsider crowned the king of Strictly

- By Chris Hastings

IT WAS the night the dark horse finally broke through and galloped to victory.

Holby City star Joe McFadden was last night crowned the King of Strictly Come Dancing, despite starting the contest as a rank outsider.

Joe, 42, and his Russianbor­n partner Katya Jones triumphed in one of the keenest contested finals in years.

Last night’s spectacula­r was decided solely by viewers’ votes.

Each of the four finalists performed a brand-new showdance and then reprised two routines from the series.

Joe and Katya danced a Viennese waltz to Somewhere My Love from Doctor Zhivago, a showdance to You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates, and a Charleston to Alexander’s Ragtime Band by Ella Fitzgerald.

The Scot struggled to make a mark early in the competitio­n but the couple’s romantic routine to the theme from Doctor Zhivago caught the attention of the judges in week three and they began to refer to Joe as a ‘dark horse’.

Speaking before last night’s show, he paid tribute to Katya, saying: ‘Everyone has their own teaching style. Katya is like, “Do it until you get it right.” It’s been the best for me. She was exactly the sort of teacher I needed.’

Fellow finalist Debbie McGee, 59, and her partner Giovanni Pernice danced a salsa to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Boys Town Gang, a showdance to One Day I’ll Fly Away by Vaults, and an Argentine tango to Por Una Cabeza by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera.

Alexandra Burke and Gorka Marquez impressed with an American smooth to My Fair Lady’s Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, a showdance to There’s No Business Like Showbusine­ss by Ethel Merman, and a jive to Proud Mary by Tina Turner.

Meanwhile, Gemma Atkinson and Aljaz Skorjanec performed a paso doble to Viva La Vida by Coldplay, a showdance to Show Me How You Burlesque by Christina Aguilera, and an American smooth to Downtown by Petula Clark.

 ??  ?? WINNING HANDS DOWN: Joe McFadden and Katya Jones in action last night
WINNING HANDS DOWN: Joe McFadden and Katya Jones in action last night
 ??  ?? A PICTURE OF ELEGANCE: Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice
A PICTURE OF ELEGANCE: Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice

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