Ore Oduba and his dancing partner Joanne Clifton were left in shock on Saturday night after they were named the new champions of Strictly Come Dancing and presented with the coveted Glitterball trophy!
The pair seemed stunned after they were named the winners of the show, and the TV presenter immediately thanked his dance partner for her help. Calling the show "the most incredible experience of my life", he said: "I've learned to dance, I've made a best friend, I've been on the show that I loved for 12 years." Speaking to Joanne, he said: "I love you with all of my heart. I'm so speechless. I just want to say thank you." Viewers were delighted when the star was announced as the winner, with one tweeting: "Lovely lovely Ore who I love! BRILLIANT!" McFly's Harry Judd was among those watching, and added: "That was an epic final!!! Congratulations @joanneclifton and @oreoduba fully deserved. Best on the night. #Strictly."
© Photo: BBCOre and Joanne won the Glitterball trophy
Prior to the final episode, the 30-year-old opened up about his time on the show and how much he had enjoyed himself. He also admitted he had been a huge fan of the dancing competition since it launched in 2004. He said: "I've watched this for the twelve years it has been on. It's always been the thing that I've dreamt of doing. Working with the BBC, it's always been one of those shows that I thought, 'wouldn't it be incredible to be a part of.' So when I arrived it was a realisation of being in a dream, I still feel like I'm inside the telly and not in a competition. It's beyond belief."
However, it hasn't all been smooth sailing for the Strictly winner, who admitted that finding himself in the dance off was one of the worst moments of the series for him. "Being in the dance off for the first time [was the worst moment]," he said. "The salsa we loved doing and we found ourselves in the bottom two. In that moment, the whole of the Strictly experience flashed in front of my eyes. You think, 'Within the dance, I might not be able to do this again and it's crushing, absolutely crushing. Actually there was a positive as we came out fighting. The moment when the light drops, you're thinking, 'I'm fighting for my Strictly life here.'"
