Winner of Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special announced
By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter
Britain’s Strictly Come Dancing’s first drag artist, Tayce, and professional dancer Kai Widdrington have been crowned winners of the BBC show’s Christmas special.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star, 30, and Widdrington lifted the Christmas star-shaped trophy after receiving a perfect score of four 10s for their cha-cha to 100 Degrees by Kylie and Dannii Minogue.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood was full of praise, saying it was “absolutely fierce, serving realness, serving fab-u-lous”.
The show also saw performances from comedian Josh Widdicombe and Karen Hauer, who performed a Charleston dressed as penguins to the Glee cast version of Let It Snow.
Strictly judge Anton Du Beke referenced a previous dance partner on the show, former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who despite having a similar surname to comedian Josh, is no relation.
Following the routine from Hauer and Widdicombe, which scored them 36 points, including a 10 from Du Beke, he said: “I have to tell you one thing though, it has finally happened, the moment has come.
“Karen has turned into me. She is the longest-serving professional on Strictly and they give you a Widdicombe, congratulations, you’ve earned it.
“I am gobsmacked, that was totally, totally brilliant.”
Du Beke and Widdecombe danced together in 2010, and became favourites with the audience that guaranteed their progress through several weeks of the show, including an infamous samba in Blackpool.
Also part of the festive line-up were Irish TV star Vogue Williams and Gorka Marquez, who jived to Rockin’ Robin by Bobby Day.
They were scored 33 for their routine by the judges.
Elsewhere, former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite and Nikita Kuzmin danced a Viennese waltz to KD Lang’s version of Hallelujah.
Du Beke told them: “It was like my favourite sherry trifle at Christmas, it was layered, you had the lovely creamy, lovely top, with that beautiful cherry on the top which was your lovely top line… your arms were like the whirling cream across the custard layer…
“Your lifts were gorgeous, give me another spoonful of your trifle.”
Former racing car driver Billy Monger and Nadiya Bychkova danced the American smooth to Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John.
Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and his dance partner Nancy Xu danced street commercial to the Glee cast version of Christmas Wrapping.
The festive special began with a group routine from the celebrities and their dance partners to I Love Christmas from the Scrooge film and ended with a closing number to Leona Lewis’s version of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.
The episode also saw Emma Bunton perform a rendition of the Spice Girls song 2 Become 1.
The show was hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, with the dances judged by Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Revel Horwood and Du Beke.
The winners were announced after combining the studio audience votes with the judges’ scores.
