More tears... but at least Bill’s were Strictly joyful
Bill and Oti’s epic ‘ j ourney’ ends in triumph – after a good luck message from Queen st ars
IT WAS a moment of pure joy amid a day of utter despair.
Bill Bailey was left speechless, arms in the air, as it was announced he had won the coveted Strictly Glitterball trophy after weeks of entertaining the nation.
The unlikely winner, who said he hopes his dancefloor heroics will inspire other‘ blokes his age ’, embraced his dance partner Oti Mabuse.
A spontaneous jig then ensued followed by tears of happiness, surely shared by the entire nation.
Bill, 55, is the oldest ever winner of the BBC show, beating the two other finalists - social media star HRVY and soap actress Maisie
Smith who are 34 and 36 years his junior respectively. The star was able to take part in the show only because his stand- up gigs were cancelled due to Covid-19.
After being crowned by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, he said: ‘It feels surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels wonderful. I never thought we’d get this far.
‘I never thought we’d get to the final but I have the most extraordinary teacher, the most extraordinary dancer.’
He added that Oti had ‘believed in me right from the beginning and she found something in me and turned me into this – into a dancer’.
It was a record-breaking night for Oti, who became the only professional dancer to win two years in succession.
Through tears, she told Bill: ‘I think you are amazing, remarkable, Bill Mark Bailey. You just put your heart into everything: you put your soul into everything. You’re in your world but I love your world and I always want to be a part of you and thank you for being a friend, a father figure to me. And for this.’
As well his wife of 22 years, Kristin, and son Dax, 14, Bill is even thought to have had the Duchess of Cornwall cheering him on.
Making an appearance on the show via a video link, the royal praised Strictly for bringing joy to the UK in what has been a tough autumn and winter.
‘I think it’s just lifted our spirits, it’s lifted the whole country’s spirits,’ she said.
‘ You have given everybody so much pleasure and you’ve uplifted the nation.’
Until last night, the oldest winner was actor Joe McFadden, who danced to victory in 2017 at the age of 42.
Bill faced stiff competition in the form of EastEnders actress Smith, 19, and HRVY, 21.
While their dances were undoubtedly more acrobatic and highoctane, Bill won with his joyful routines and ‘Strictly journey’.
Given the nickname Rocket by his co-stars, he quickly endeared himself to the 11 million viewers.
Even last night, Strictly fans fought back tears following his ‘show dance’ to Queen’s The Show Must Go On, which boasts uplifting lyrics such as ‘Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up may be flaking, but my smile, still, stays on.’
Before his performance he got a rousing message from Roger Taylor and Brian May, with the latter predicting his win: ‘I’m just calling in to say I don’t think you need any
‘The show has lifted the whole country’s spirits’
luck for this next bit, I think it’s in the bag.’
After being given a perfect ten from each of the three judges, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse, Bill told viewers: ‘This is an anthem about not giving up.’
Bill also danced his Couple’s Choice number, Rapper’s Delight, by The Sugar Hill Gang.
Their third dance, a quickstep to Bobby Darin’s If I Could Talk To The Animals, was chosen by the judges.
No television show has adopted this motto with more gusto than Strictly, which faced an uphill battle to bring the production to the small screen in the pandemic.
Social distancing rules meant there could not be a studio audience while the stars had to form a bubble with their dance partner for the eight-week run.
The judges, including last-minute stand-in Anton Du Beke, occupied their positions in individual pods, spaced two metres apart.
Covid did stop the dancing on one occasion. Boxer Nicola Adams made history as part of the first same-sex couple but was forced to pull out when partner Katya Jones tested positive for Covid.
Last night the pair had a final dance to the Casino Roy ale theme tune Feeling Good by Michael Buble.
The show aired just hours after the Government’ s bomb shell announcement about Christmas, which was referenced by both Tess and Craig.
As the curtain came down on another series, Craig spoke for the nation when he said: ‘I really don’t want the dancing to end.’