Emotional comic Bailey crowned Strictly champ
BILL Bailey described his win as “surreal” after becoming the oldest Strictly Come Dancing celebrity to lift the glitterball trophy.
The comedian, 55, who described his dance skills as “patchy” when he first signed up for the BBC One show against younger rivals, triumphed in the final.
And his professional dance partner Oti Mabuse lifted the glitterball for a second consecutive year.
Bailey looked shocked when he was announced as the year’s winner and said it felt “surreal... extraordinary” and “wonderful”.
The comic, whose performance to Rapper’s Delight was one of the stand-out moments of the series, said he could never have imagined getting to the last show.
And he paid tribute to Mabuse, whom he called “the most extraordinary teacher, the most extraordinary dancer”.
She “believed in me right from the beginning and she found something in me, turned me into this, into a dancer”, he said.
Singer and social media star HRVY, EastEnders actress Maisie Smith and reality TV star Jamie Laing were also in the final.
Smith and HRVY would have been Strictly’s youngest winners if they had won the public vote.
The nail-biting final began with reference to a “tough day”, after Christmas plans were scrapped for millions.
“If ever people needed cheering up, it’s now,” host Tess Daly told millions of viewers. “After another tough day, we are going to try our very best to keep you entertained with an unforgettable night of dance.”
The BBC’s continuity announcer said Strictly had brought viewers together during difficult months.
“In a year that’s kept us apart, whether you’re watching in Tyne and Wear, Devon, Berkshire or Lincolnshire, we’re all watching BBC One together,” he said.