We have to be honest, our emotions were already pretty near the surface during this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, and there were a fair few teary moments for us throughout the live show.
There was eventual winner Bill Bailey’s explanation of how his performance was a tribute to the arts, which have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. There was Claudia Winkleman’s heartfelt speech about the crew who made this year’s series such a success. There was the return of Nicola Adams to the dance floor, after having to bow out of the series early when dance partner Katya Jones contracted coronavirus.
Oh, and of course, there was the fact the whole thing aired just hours after this bleak address from Boris Johnson.
What really sent us over the edge, though, was seeing Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse’s tears of pride after her sister Oti was crowned this year’s winner by viewers.
As Bill and Oti celebrated their Strictly victory and paid tribute to one another, the camera briefly panned to Motsi, who had been moved to tears by her sister’s win.
It’s fair to say the moment gave Strictly viewers the feels as well…
While throughout the series it’s the public vote and judges’ scores that determine who stays and who goes, things are a little different in the final, as it’s viewers alone who decide who is awarded the glitterball trophy.
After being chosen as this year’s winner, Bill admitted: “I never thought we’d get this far, I never thought we’d get to the final.
“I have the most extraordinary teacher, the most extraordinary dance partner, someone who believed in me right from the beginning, and she found something in me, that turned me into this, turned me into a dance, thank you Oti. Thank you so much.”
Oti’s win is a particularly special one, as it marked the first time a Strictly professional has won the show two years in a row.
In 2019, she helped former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher on his way to Strictly victory, having only been added to the line-up at the eleventh hour to replace Jamie Laing, who had to bow out early due to an injury.
