Who has won Strictly Come Dancing through the years? From Kelvin Fletcher to Stacey Dooley

On Saturday, new Strictly Come Dancing champions will be crowned for the 18th time. 

Last year saw Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse dance to victory, picking up the Glitterball trophy in front of their many fans - both at home and in the audience.

The couple beat other couples Karim Zeroual and Amy Dowden and Emma Barton and Anton du Beke, in what was one of the closest finals the show has seen.

The pair were both visibly emotional as they took in the news of their win, with Kelvin tearing up, telling hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly that it was one of the best things he has ever done.

Oti's sister, Motsi Mabuse, was just as delighted for the couple, and was in tears as she watched her younger sister win the BBC One dance show for the first time. 

Of course, every couple who has won has found it an emotional experience, from Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton to Joe McFadden and Katya Jones. 

Take a look back at all the winning couples since the first series back in 2004... 

WATCH: Maisie Smith wows in leather mini dress

Series 17 - Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse

A fan favourite couple from the start of the series, Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse were delighted when their names were called out as the winners of the 2019 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The pair wowed week after week with some unforgettable dances, not to mention Kelvin's incredible hip action in the Samba.

MORE: Strictly star Oti Mabuse had a very special family member waiting for her after winning the show

Kelvin impressed the judges even more as he was a last-minute addition to the series, having replaced Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing after he was forced to pull out after injuring himself.

When Kelvin and Oti picked up the famous Glitterball trophy, Jamie was one of the first people to congratulate the couple, joking that it was a good thing that he had broken his leg so that Kelvin could take part and show just how good he is. 

Jamie is now in this weekend's final with his partner Karen Hauer, proving that good things come to those who wait! 

Keep clicking for more photos!

Series 1 - Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole

Natasha Kaplinsky is an English newsreader and television presenter, best known for her roles as a newsreader on Sky News, BBC News, Channel 5 and ITV News.

She participated in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing, with professional partner Brendan Cole.

She received the highest mark in eight out of ten dances and became the first celebrity to score a perfect ten.

Natasha finished 39 points clear in the final against her competitor Christopher Parker and was crowned the first-ever champion of the show.

She then co-presented the first half of the second series in 2004 with Bruce Forsyth, when regular presenter Tess Daly went on maternity leave.

She also returned to the show in 2012, taking part in the Christmas Special.

Series 2 - Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett

Jill Halfpenny is an English actress and West End performer, known for her roles in rival British soap operas Coronation Street and EastEnders, as well as theatre productions of Calendar Girls, Chicago and Legally Blonde.

Jill was coupled with professional dancer Darren Bennett in the second series of the show. The couple won the competition after receiving the full 40 marks from the judges for their Jive in the final.

In the Christmas Special of Strictly Come Dancing (which saw the most successful participants of series one and two battle against each other), Jill and Darren retained their winning ways as they were crowned the Champion of Champions as chosen by a studio audience vote.

Jill reflected on her performances in an interview with the BBC where she said: "I always look back and think I could have done better, but that’s just the critic in me."

Series 3 - Lilia Kopylova and Darren Gough

Darren Gough is a former English cricket player, who since retiring has gone on to co-present a weekly radio show on talkSPORT.

Darren and professional partner Lilia Kopylova were unexpectedly victorious as they were crowned series three winners despite never finishing at the top of the judges leader board.

The duo paired up for two Christmas Specials in 2005 and 2007 where they received top marks for the Quickstep and American Smooth respectively.

Darren created a ten-step guide on how to win the BBC One show with his most important piece of advice being: "It’s not always the best dancers that win, I’m a perfect example of that. By the end I was pretty nifty but I’m not a natural dancer. If you’ve got your personality, use it!"

Series 4 - Karen Hardy and Mark Ramprakash

Mark Ramprakash was the second consecutive cricketer to win BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.

Partnered up with professional dancer Karen Hardy, the pair became the first couple to restart a dance due to technical issues during their salsa as Ramprakash’s microphone got caught on Hardy's dress.

Despite this, they still managed to score four nines for the routine. The reprise of their Salsa in the final scored them the perfect 40 marks and ultimately lead to their glory.

Mark struggled with a lack of confidence throughout the series and often doubted his ability, saying: "I'd never say I was confident going out to dance because it can take one small lapse in concentration and you can go wrong."

Mark is also an ambassador for the British Asian Trust.

Series 5 - Alesha Dixon and Matthew Cutler

Singer Alesha Dixon and her professional partner Matthew Cutler narrowly edged out their competition Matt Di Angelo by two points in the final of series five.

Although Alesha never managed to score a perfect ten throughout her time on the show, she holds the highest average with an impressive 36.5.

Alesha’s television exposure led to a successful comeback, which included signing to Asylum Records and releasing a second album which received platinum certification.

Her single Breathe Slow also earned a Brit nomination.

Alesha became a judge on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing, replacing Arlene Phillips.

After quitting the show after series nine, she became a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

MORE: Strictly's Motsi Mabuse hits back following controversial exit episode

Series 6 - Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup

Casualty actor Tom Chambers and professional partner Camilla Dallerup were one of the most unexpected winners of the show, beating the likes of Lisa Snowdon and Rachel Stevens.

Among the controversy of the semi-final and the technical issue with voting, it was decided to allow all three celebrities to progress to the final.

Labelled the ‘underdog,’ Tom never scored a perfect ten, unlike his rivals. He did, however, receive the highest marks of the series for the Salsa and Samba. He also participated in the Christmas Special with professional dancer, Oti Mabuse.

Series 7 - Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan

Chris Hollins, journalist, presenter and sportsman became the seventh winner of the show with professional partner Ola Jordan, as they triumphed over favourite Ricky Whittle.

Chris performed consistently well throughout the show and avoided the dreaded dance-off. He also the highest scores for two of his performances in the final.

Chris had never been brought up around dance as his mum stated: "We never thought we’d be watching him on Strictly. We were nervous because we’d never seen him dance."

Following his success on the show, Chris has presented Watchdog and Secret Britain alongside Ellie Harrison and Denise Lewis.

Series 8 - Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev

Kara Tointon, best known for her role in BBC soap opera EastEnders, became the second actress to win the show.

She was partnered with debutant Artem Chigvintsev. She shared her thoughts on her last evening on the show, saying: “It wasn’t about getting through to the next round and doing our best. It was us just enjoying it and that is when I realised what an amazing person I have met.”

Despite failing to achieve a mark of 40 throughout the show, Kara was extremely consistent scoring the highest mark in eight of the thirteen styles of dance that they are required to perform.

Prior to winning the series, Kara was successful in the Sports Relief edition of Strictly Come Dancing, being crowned the champion alongside series four winner Mark Ramprakash.

Series 9 - Aliona Vilani and Harry Judd

Harry Judd, an English musician best known as the drummer for pop rock band McFly, was crowned the winner of series nine of Strictly Come Dancing alongside his partner Aliona Vilani.

Harry constantly improved week by week. He topped the leaderboard in week seven before performing at his optimum in the final when he achieved two perfect scores of 40.

Prior to this, Harry had been successful in a Children in Need edition of Strictly Come Dancing, and he continued his success by coming runner-up in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Underwater in 2012 and the Christmas Special in 2015.

Harry was overwhelmed with support after the initial apprehension from his girlfriend at the time, Escala’s Izzy Johnston. The couple married in Harpenden in 2012.

Series 10 - Flavia Cacace and Louis Smith

Louis Smith, MBE, is one of Britain’s most successful gymnasts achieving Olympic Bronze medals in London 2012 and Rio 2016 respectively.

The Olympian was paired with professional dancer Flavia Cacace, and took on one of the most hotly contested finals in Strictly Come Dancing history.

Louis began to flourish in week nine as he embraced his artistic skills and integrated them into his dancing. He proudly stated in an interview following his impressive win: "I can finally say I won something in the year 2012." 

Following his year of success, Louis has been offered many high profile television opportunities.

Series 11 - Abbey Clancy and Aljaz Skorjanec

Model and TV presenter Abbey won series 11 of Strictly Come Dancing alongside her partner Aljaz.

Despite having had no formal dance training, Abbey showcased her natural rhythm as she grew from strength to strength every week, before beating fellow finalists Susana Reid, Natalie Gumede and Sophie Ellis-Bexter in a spectacular final show.

Abbey achieved her first ten during Blackpool week, and her first 40 during Musicals Week. Shocked by the results, she said: "I can’t believe this; it’s just mad!" 

She expressed how Strictly Come Dancing was “the most perfect experience [she’s] had.”

Following her success on Strictly, Abbey returned to Britain’s Next Top Model as the new host, nine years after participating and coming runner-up on the modelling show.

She also had her first book published, Remember My Name, in 2016.

Series 12 - Pasha Kovalev and Caroline Flack

The late Love Island presenter lifted the Glitterball with partner Pasha Kovalev as they were crowned 2014 winners.

Her win came after the pair made history by achieving a perfect score from the judges on every performance in the final.

Caroline was ecstatic about her victory, saying: "This is the best feeling in the whole world. This has been the best experience of my whole life, mostly because of Pasha, but also because of the other contestants. I'm so lucky to get to know this incredible bunch of people."

The show paid a special tribute to the star back in October, which featured Pasha.

He said of Caroline: "We saw how she transformed into that beautiful dancer with a big heart on her sleeve. That series will always have a special place in my heart."

Series 13 - Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani

Jay McGuiness is a British singer best known as a vocalist with boy band The Wanted.

Jay and professional dancer Aliona Vilani became the 13th champions of Strictly Come Dancing, despite the controversy over the win as 'a popularity contest rather than a dance competition'.

The pair however posted three impressive routines in the final, scoring: 35, 36 and 39 respectively.

"It feels surreal," Jay told RadioTimes.com. "It does feel amazing because I enjoyed every second of our last dance. In my head now I think, 'Oh people enjoyed it, too.'"

Jay went on to perform in the U.K tour of Rip It Up, a showcase of dance throughout the 50s, alongside series ten winner Louis Smith and Australian professional dancer and choreographer Natalie Lowe.

MORE: Strictly's Ranvir Singh breaks down in tears during emotional exit interview with Giovanni Pernice

Series 14 - Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton

Ore Oduba is a British television, news and sports presenter who currently works for the BBC.

Ore shocked the public as he achieved two perfect scores of 40 in the final, alongside professional dancer Joanne Clifton.

Ore wasn’t initially keen on the idea of joining the show, saying: "When I got the call I became a jibbering mess. I'm more competitive with myself than anyone else. Always strive for perfection, even if it's completely unrealistic."

Ore and his wife Portia welcomed their son Roman in early 2018. 

Series 15 - Joe McFadden and Katya Jones

Joe McFadden and Katya Jones were crowned the winners of the Strictly 2017 series.

The Holby City actor was speechless when his name was announced by host Tess Daly.

The pair had been awarded their first 40 of the series during the finale, so to win the competition was the icing on the cake.

Joe beat celebrity contestants Debbie McGee, Gemma Atkinson and Alexandra Burke.

Joe said: "Oh my goodness! It's completely surreal! We did it!" as he hugged his dance partner Katya.

Claudia Winkleman then asked Joe: "Joe McFadden, when you arrived here 13 weeks ago, would you ever, ever, have imagined that you'd be taking that home?"

Joe replied: "Not in a million years. It feels completely surreal and I'm so in awe of everyone who started all those weeks ago.

We've all become such a tight unit and I love them all to bits. Every one of us here are winners because we've gotten here."

Joe said of Katya: "And this woman is the most amazing woman. Thank you so much for sticking with me and persevering and being the most amazing artist and dancer and counsellor and slave driver. She's amazing, utterly, utterly, amazing."

An overwhelmed Katya replied: "We did it! We did it!!"

Series 16 - Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton

Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton won 2018's Strictly Come Dancing.

Journalist Stacey beat fellow celebrity contestants Ashley Roberts, Joe Sugg and Faye Tozer to walk away with the Glitterball Trophy.

Kevin and Stacey nearly broke down in tears when it was announced they had won the series.

Kevin shouted: "It's a Christmas miracle."

When Stacey finally found herself able to talk, she said: "Kev, listen, you know how highly I think of you. I think you're the biggest gent. It's no coincidence he's been in the final as many times as he has. I've had the most incredible time. It's daunting, you feel silly, a bit of an idiot, but Kevin walks you through - you deserve this."

Kevin replied: "Thank you so much... Thanks for being the most wonderful person. You're so lovely and I just think the absolute world of you, thank you so much." They then picked up the Glitterball Trophy together.

Although the pair didn't receive the highest judges' scores of the night, they certainly won over the nation with their chemistry and fun attitude to dances each week.

The couple even found love on the show, revealing that they were in a relationship the following March.