Another Christmas Strictly winner has been crowned (Picture: PA)
And there we have it, another Strictly Come Dancing winner has been crowned at Christmas.
EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick and his professional partner Nancy Xu lifted the Christmas Silver Star trophy after bowling the judges and studio audience over with their impressive Quickstep, stealing the crown from last year’s winner, Corrie star Alexandra Mardell.
Jamie, 29, who plays Jay Brown in the BBC soap, beat off tough competition from BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent and Graziano Di Prima, Dan Snow and Nadiya Bychkova, Danny Cipriani and Jowita Przystał, Tillie Amartey and Neil Jones, and Sugababe Keisha Buchanan and Gorka Márquez.
As the episode was pre-recorded, the champ was decided by combining the judges’ scores with votes from the studio audience.
Craig Revel Horwood told Jamie: ‘You sleighed me, darling’, while head judge Shirley Ballas was just as thrilled.
‘If I could jump over this bar and quickstep around the room I would do it with you! I don’t have a paddle high enough for you,’ she grinned.
EastEnders star Jamie and his partner Nancy ‘sleighed’ their Quickstep (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)
Christmas Strictly Come Dancing 2023 scores
Dan Snow and Nadiya dancing the Jive to All I Want for Christmas – 30
Keisha and Gorka dancing the Viennese Waltz to Snowman – 33.
Danny and Jowita dancing the Cha-Cha to Celebration – 37
Tillie and Neil dancing the Jive to Underneath the Tree – 39
Sally and Graziano dancing the Foxtrot to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – 38
Jamie and Nancy dancing the Quick Step to Merry Christmas Everyone – 40
Motsi Mabuse called Jamie the ‘surprise of the evening’ and Anton du Beke agreed: ‘You were a surprise and a delight. Magnificent!’
Jamie came out on top and was, of course, very excited about it.
‘This is great, it’s been a wonderful experience, but we’re all winners here. This show is magic,’ he told hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
Reacting to his win, Strictly viewers began petitioning to get him on the main series.
X user Iona_Ross97 penned: ‘Worthy winner! Get Jamie on #Strictly next year. He’s so humble bless’.
‘Jamie Borthwick is incredible. What a dance !!!’, wrote BeckyTheStan.
‘Petition to make Jamie & Nancy a couple on next year’s main series. They are brilliant’, wrote RyanTheSoapking.
Jamie’s win comes after Corrie’s Ellie Leach and her partner Vito Coppola lifted the Glitterball trophy, after beating Bobby Brazier and Layton Williams in a nail-biting final.
Catch up with the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special on BBC iPlayer.
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The judges all agreed they were the surprise of the night.
