Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner announced as Rose Ayling-Ellis
Strictly 2021 winner announced as Rose and Giovanni lift the trophy
Another series of Strictly Come Dancing has come to an end, as the final saw Rose Ayling-Ellis and dance partner Giovanni Pernice announced as the winners after 13 weeks of fierce competition.
The news comes after an exciting finale in which just two contestants took part, in an unprecedented change to proceedings.
Yes, it's been an eventful year for the BBC hit, with Covid-19 and injury playing a part throughout the season. Early on, Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden were forced to miss one of the live shows as they recovered from the virus.
But the most recent unfortunate event saw finalist AJ Odudu bow out due to a severe foot injury which left her unable to stand. The star said she was "gutted", but later appeared in the studio to look back over her time in the competition, thanking partner Kai Widdrington for his strength and support.
Remaining finalists Rose Ayling-Ellis and John Whaite gave solid performances tonight as they used all their newly acquired skills to make it to the top.
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The night saw both couples win acclaim, as judge Anton Du Beke claimed John and Johannes' Rumba was the best he had ever seen in Strictly history. Rose also performed her silent tribute to the deaf community, which the judges loved just as much the second time around.
Anton and fellow judge Motsi Mabuse were left emotional tonight after both couples gave their powerful third and final performances.
But of course there could only be one winner, and after a series of performances Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced that Rose had won the most votes from the public.
The star thanked Giovanni for everything, calling him a wonderful friend who "will always have a piece of my heart".
While we recover from all the excitement, if you are missing the show already there's not long to wait until a festive instalment of Strictly hits our screens this Christmas. There will be an all-new cast for the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 Christmas special line-up including newsreader Moira Stewart and music star Anne-Marie.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas special is on BBC One at 5:10pm on Saturday 25th December. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
