Strictly Come Dancing’s competition has seriously heated up! The remaining contestants - Ellie Leach, Layton Williams, and Bobby Brazier – have all received amazing scores throughout the season - but who will take home the coveted Glitterball this year? Here's what you need to know about the end of the competition...
When is the Strictly Come Dancing finale?
The finale will air on 16 December on the BBC and will see finalist couples battle it out to lift the Glitterball trophy. The show typically has four couples in the finale, but this year there will be three, due to Amanda Abbington's earlier exit in the competition.
© BBCThe final three song and dance lists
Our final three couples – Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, and Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell – are preparing to dance their way to victory, and they've each shared their final song and dance list, which you can see blow.
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola
© Guy LevyFavourite Dance - American Smooth to Ain’t That A Kick In The Head by Robbie Williams
Show Dance - Jennifer Lopez Megamix
Judges’ Pick - Paso Doble to Insomnia by 2WEI
Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin
© Guy LevyFavourite Dance - Argentine Tango to Tattoo by Loreen
Show Dance - Friend Like Me by Ne-Yo
Judges’ Pick - Quickstep to Puttin’ On The Ritz by Gregory Porter
Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell
© BBC/Guy LevyFavourite Dance - Couple’s Choice to This Woman’s Work by Maxwell
Show Dance - La La Land Medley
Judges’ Pick - Samba to Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton
What happens in the grand finale?
The finale will see each finalist couple show off their moves by performing three different routines, including a judges’ pick, which the judges have chosen as a favourite, a show dance, and a couples’ choice dance, in which the couple pick their favourite routine from throughout the season to perform for a second time.
The finale is also packed with emotion as the couples reflect on their Strictly journeys and their new friendships with one another - and there is never a dry eye in the house, that’s for sure!
Of course, the episode concludes with the results and winner being announced, with the dancing couple then lifting the Glitterball trophy. So who do you think will be the 2023 champion?
Who has won Strictly in the past?
Countryfile star Hamza Yassin took home the Glitterball trophy in 2022 alongside Jowita Przystał. In 2021, Rose Ayling-Ellis made history as the first deaf contestant to win the show alongside her partner Giovanni Pernice, while Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse took home the trophy in 2020. See the full list here!
Every Strictly Come Dancing winner so far
- 2004: Natisha Kaplinsky (partner Brendan Cole)
- 2004: Jill Halfpenny (partner Darren Bennett)
- 2005: Darren Gough (partner Lilia Kopylova)
- 2006: Mark Ramprakash (partner Karen Hardy)
- 2007: Alesha Dixon (partner Matthew Cutler)
- 2008: Tom Chambers (partner Camilla Dallerup)
- 2009: Chris Hollins (partner Ola Jordan)
- 2010: Kara Tointon (partner Artem Chigvintsev)
- 2011: Harry Judd (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2012: Louis Smith (partner Flavia Cacace)
- 2013: Abbey Clancy (partner Aljaž Škorjanec)
- 2014: Caroline Flack (partner Pasha Kovalev)
- 2015: Jay McGuiness (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2016: Ore Oduba (partner Joanne Clifton)
- 2017: Joe McFadden (partner Katya Jones)
- 2018: Stacey Dooley (partner Kevin Clifton)
- 2019: Kelvin Fletcher (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2020: Bill Bailey (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2021: Rose Ayling-Ellis (partner Giovanni Pernice)
- 2022: Hamza Yassin (partner Jowita Przystał)
What happens after the winner is crowned?
The show certainly isn’t over - in a way - as plenty of the Strictly stars then embark on a countrywide tour, performing all of their best routines. The three finalists, Layton Williams, Bobby Brazier and Ellie Leach have all confirmed that they'll be joining the tour. "I said before that appearing on Strictly was a dream come true and now, I will get to be on the tour as well! I can’t wait for January to experience it all over again – it’s going to be a blast!" said Ellie.
© Guy LevyLayton added: "The Strictly tour means more sequins – lots and lots of sequins! I couldn’t think of a better way to end this fab experience. I can’t wait to dance in arenas across the country and meet all the fans that have supported my journey."
