This season of Strictly Come Dancing is coming to a close, with one couple finally set to take home the glitterball after the finals on Saturday.
The BBC series will see comedian Chris McCausland and his partner Dianne Buswell, former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and Aljaz Skorjanec, Miranda actress Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, and JLS member JB Gill and Lauren Oakley battling it out for the win.
From the moment they set a spray-tanned foot onto the dancefloor, they are being judged with the hopes of making it into the Strictly history books.
If the finalists are looking for inspiration then the 21 celebrities – most recently Ellie Leach – who have had the honour of raising the sparkly award way above their heads in the glitzy final would be a good place to start.
Here’s everyone who’s managed to secure the glitterball so far — and who they had to beat to get there…
Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole — Series 1 (2004)
The first-ever winners of Strictly were journalist Natasha Kaplinsky, 52, and her partner Brendan Cole, 48, who called the victory ‘amazing but bittersweet’.
‘There were rumours of whether or not Natasha and I were seeing each other, and my relationship broke down in the middle of the series [with fellow professional dancer Camilla Dallerup, whom he had been dating for eight years],’ he told Metro.co.uk.
‘It was pretty tumultuous, and tricky to say the least.’
Second place: Christopher Parker and Hanna Karttunen
Third place: Lesley Garrett and Anton du Beke
Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett — Series 2 (2004)
EastEnders actor Jill Halfpenny, 49, and dancer Darren Bennett, 47, didn’t quite get to be the first winners, but they did achieve another first.
The pair were the first coupling to achieve a perfect 40, which they were awarded for their high-tempo jive to to I’m Still Standing in the finale.
Second place: Denise Lewis and Ian Waite
Third place: Julian Clary and Erin Boag
Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova — Series 3 (2005)
During the 12-week run, cricketer Darren Gough, 54, and partner Lilia Kopylova, 46, never made it to the top of the leaderboard, but that didn’t matter when they were declared the ultimate winners.
Second place: Colin Jackson and Erin Boag
Third place: Zoë Ball and Ian Waite
Mark Ramprakash and Karen Hardy — Series 4 (2006)
England cricketers proved unstoppable on Strictly Come Dancing, with Mark Ramprakash repeating Darren’s success.
55-year-old Mark’s most memorable moment came when he danced a Salsa to Hot Hot Hot with Karen Hardy, 54.
It began with disaster when Mark’s mic got caught in Karen’s dress and they had to re-start their routine. They still managed to score 36, and then in the final, they did it again and got the perfect 40.
Second place: Matt Dawson and Lilia Kopylova
Third place: Emma Bunton and Darren Bennett
Alesha Dixon and Matthew Cutler — Series 5 (2007)
Alesha Dixon, 45, was so damn good at dancing that after she won, BBC gave her a job on the judging panel.
The Mis-Teeq singer’s partnership with Matthew Cutler, 50, provided much delight on the dancefloor, but shockingly, they never quite scored the perfect 40.
Second place: Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace
Third place: Gethin Jones and Camilla Dallerup
Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup — Series 6 (2008)
Tom Chambers faced tough competition from Rachel Stevens and Lisa Snowdon in the final and was left with the lowest score of the trio.
However, in the final, the winner is voted for completely by the public and the Holby City actor proved to be most popular with those at home.
It was 50-year-old Camilla’s final series, so she certainly went out on a high with Tom, 47, by her side.
Second place: Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simone
Third place: Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole
Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan — Series 7 (2009)
Once again, the public flipped the leaderboard on its head and put Chris Hollins and Ola Jordan on top despite their lower scores.
Chris’ memorable Charleston saw Ola, 41, pretending to swim while resting on his lap, partially helped him win the public’s affection. He has since admitted that the move occurred to help fill the time so he didn’t have to learn more new steps.
The 53-year-old journalist thanked Ola during the live final for believing in him, before adding: ‘I did test you a little bit and the jive and quickstep come to mind. Thank you so much you lovely little girl.’
Second place: Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe
Third place: Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna
Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev — Series 8 (2010)
Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev lived their own Strictly fairytale in 2010. As well as falling in love with dancing, actress Kara, 41, also fell for Artem, 42.
It was a Strictly blessing, rather than a curse, as the pair were both single while participating in the series. However, Kara was initially angry at the pairing. ‘I was single and they put me with the single guy!,’ she told The Telegraph, adding: ‘I was so angry.
‘I was determined we wouldn’t get together and then of course you’re spending so much time with this person and he was so wonderful. So yes, it was inevitable really.’
The couple made their feelings clear when they shared a passionate kiss after being announced as winners. So rom-com coded. They continued their relationship for four years, before confirming the end of their romance.
Second place: Matt Baker and Aliona Vilani
Third place: Pamela Stephenson and James Jordan
Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani — Series 9 (2011)
He was used to being part of a group as the drummer in McFly, but Harry Judd shone all on his own on Strictly Come Dancing (with Aliona Vilani’s help of course).
They left it all on the dance floor in the finale and got 40s for their Quickstep to Don’t Get Me Wrong, and Argentine Tango to Asi se baila el tango – the first 40 for this style of dance.
Harry, 38, called Strictly ‘the most incredible experience’ and said he ‘just honoured’ to become the ninth champion alongside Aliona, 40.
Second place: Chelsee Healey and Pasha Kovalev
Third place: Jason Donovan and Kristina Rihanoff
Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace — Series 10 (2012)
Olympic gymnast Louis Smith had some transferrable skills that he could put to use in the Strictly ballroom and that’s exactly what he did.
During the final, the 35-year-old performed a show dance to Take That’s Rule The World which saw him perform shirtless – and perform a string of gymnastic moves including a handstand on top of a giant globe.
After winning, Flavia Cacace, 44, decided to depart Strictly. She had been there, done that, got the glitterball trophy.
Notably, this was the first year that BBC decided not to disclose the official second and third place.
Runners-Up:
- Denise Van Outen and James Jordan
- Kimberley Walsh and Pasha Kovalev
Abbey Clancy and Aljaž Škorjanec — Series 11 (2013)
Aljaž Škorjanec joined Strictly with a bang and won his first-ever series as a professional dancer with 38-year-old model Abbey Clancy.
‘I just loved my experience on the show, it was the most magical time,’ the star later raved to Metro.co.uk.
However, she added: ‘It’s quite hard to watch it now having been on it! You see it in a different way because you see behind the scenes and all that.’
Runners-Up:
- Natalie Gumede and Artem Chigvintsev
- Susanna Reid and Kevin Clifton
Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev — Series 12 (2014)
The late Caroline Flack’s beautiful performances led her to victory with Pasha Kovalev.
Pasha, 44, has regularly paid tribute to his former Strictly partner since her death in 2020. Speaking on Lorraine, he said: ‘I loved dancing with Caroline.
‘I think we brought something very special to the show when we were competing, and I think she absolutely deserved winning that year because she put everything she possibly had in her heart on the dance floor. It was spectacular.’
He also said his win with Caroline ‘will always hold a special place in my heart’ on It Takes Two.
Runners-Up
- Frankie Bridge and Kevin Clifton
- Simon Webbe and Kristina Rihanoff
Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani — Series 13 (2015)
Aliona became the first professional dancer to get a double victory and once again it was a boyband star helping her lift the glitterball trophy. This time it was Wanted singer Jay McGuiness, 34, leading her around the dance floor.
His most memorable performance was a Pulp Fiction-themed jive, which is still the most-viewed couple routine on Strictly’s official YouTube channel. It’s currently sitting at an impressive eight million views.
Runners-up:
- Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice
- Kellie Bright & Kevin Clifton
Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton — Series 14 (2016)
Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton took the title in 2016, and once again, it was a jive that really made them stand out from the pack.
Their high-tempo kicks and flicks to Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars scored them a perfect 40 in the final and helped him to beat favourites Danny Mac and Louise Redknapp.
The underdog said that hearing his name was ‘the most unexpected moment’ of his life. The 38-year-old added: ‘I cannot believe it, we did not even consider this, not even for a single week of this.’
Joanne, 40, was competing against her brother Kevin Clifton, 41, who was partnered with Louise, 49, but managed to be the sibling who came out on top.
Runners-up:
- Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse
- Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton
Joe McFadden and Katya Jones — Series 15 (2017)
Holby City clearly had a knack for producing Strictly winners as Joe McFadden was able to repeat Tom’s win.
Joe, 48, and Katya Jones, 35, went on a real journey throughout the competition. Starting as a complete beginner, Joe initially found himself in the lower end of the leaderboard, but he slowly but surely bopped to the top.
Reflecting on how Strictly changed him, Joe told Metro.co.uk: ‘It made me more fearless and it’s made me say yes to more things. I was very scared going into it and my only ambition was to survive the first week.’
Runners-up:
- Alexandra Burke and Gorka Márquez
- Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice
- Gemma Atkinson and Aljaž Škorjanec.
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton — Series 16 (2018)
Stacey Dooley and Kevin didn’t just take home the glitterball trophy after Strictly, they also found a romantic connection.
After the series ended, Stacey, 37, and Kevin began dating, and they’ve gone on to welcome a daughter together, Minnie.
Runners-up:
- Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell
- Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice
- Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev
Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse — Series 17 (2019)
Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher wasn’t even supposed to be on Strictly, Jamie Laing was set to be partnered with Oti Mabuse, 34. However, an injury meant an early exit from the series, and so Kelvin, 40, shimmied into the lineup.
Despite having less training time, Kelvin’s talent was obvious and he consistently wowed judges and the audiences at home.
Runners-up:
- Emma Barton and Anton Du Beke
- Karim Zeroual and Amy Dowden
Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse — Series 18 (2020)
Oti was the envy of other Strictly professional dancers when she managed to take the top honours for the second year on the bounce.
Bill Bailey, now 57, also made history by becoming the oldest winner of the series at 55 years old.
Runners-up:
- HRVY and Janette Manrara
- Maisie Smith and Gorka Marquez
- Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer
Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice — Series 19 (2021)
Giovanni Pernice and EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, 29, lifted the coveted trophy, after an inspiring run on the series.
In one particularly standout routine, Rose, who was born deaf, and Giovanni, 34,danced to an interlude of silence during their Couple’s Choice routine. The dance won a BAFTA in the publicly voted Virgin Media Must-see Moment category.
Runners-up:
- John Whaite and Johannes Radebe
Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał — Series 20 (2022)
Hamza Yassin was another underdog who rose to the very top with an outstanding series performance.
After winning wildlife cameraman Hamza, 34, thanked Jowita Przystal, 30, for guiding him throughout the competition.
‘Words can’t describe how I feel. I want to thank one person in particular – Jowita, you are an angel disguised as a human being. That’s what you are, you’re amazing,’ he sweetly said.
Despite storming to victory, Hamza revealed he was convinced they would be an early departure so developed a ritual.
‘Every week, we have this thing where I hold her thumb, and I say to her, I lean in, “Thank you very much, it’s been a great journey, I’m ready for the dance off and here we go”,’ he shared on The One Show.
Runners-up:
- Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez
- Fleur Est and Vito Coppola
- Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola — Series 21 (2023)
The reigning champions are Ellie Leach, 23, and Vito Coppola, 31, who excelled throughout the competition.
Almost 10 million people tuned in to see the Coronation Street actress, who was 22 at the time, became the youngest ever winner.
Upon hearing her name, Ellie said: ‘I actually, genuinely, cannot believe this.’
‘All the bruises and the blisters, you have been so amazing, you are Strictly. You represent Strictly, you are the diamond I was talking about, shining,’ Vito added.
Runners-up:
- Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin
- Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
A version of this article was originally published on September 19, 2024.
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