Strictly Come Dancing final 2020 - live: Bill Bailey crowned winner after closest race in years
It was a heartwarming conclusion to an impressive series
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Your support makes all the difference.Strictly Come Dancing 2020 has been a shorter but no less entertaining run of the BBC competition.
The series began in September having adhered to Covid safety regulations, and has entertained viewers weekly since.
As with every series to date, there have been ups, downs and bizarre performances (here’s looking at Max George and Dianne Buswell’s dance to the Simpsons theme).
With the final four in place, the stage was set for what was being touted as the closest finale in years – and ended in the most heartwarming manner possible.
Follow along with all the live updates as they occurred below
Expert opinion from Emma Bullimore on Bill’s show dance:
"The nation held its breath as Bill made his final bid for glitterball glory. Could he match the showmanship of Freddie Mercury as he performed to ‘The Show Must Go On’? Pulling strong paso shapes, kicking out tango legs and throwing himself at every accent of the music, the pyrotechnics flared and Bill smouldered. He grabbed a guitar, Oti, threw in Greatest Showman vibes with an acrobatic hoop, and while they couldn't match HRVY's technique, the commitment and power was there in spades. If they were wanted to dance to a Queen song, ‘We Are The Champions’ may well have been more apt.
Bill: “This is not just a song about the arts – it’s an anthem about not giving up; getting through this. It’s about being strong.”
Judge’s scores for Bill:
Craig – 10
Shirley – 10
Motsi – 10
AKA a perfect score!
Now time for Maisie’s show dance, which is gonna be bringing some (much needed) festive cheer.
Yeah, I’m feeling quite a bit more Christmassy than I was before watching that dance, to be fair.
Craig: “It was annoying ‘cause I couldn’t find anything wrong with it.”
Emma Bullimore’s expert opinion on Maisie’s show dance:
“Maisie has struggled to capture the Strictly audience, but what could be better than a perfectly performed festive show dance, channelling old-school ballroom glam? Beautifully choreographed by Gorka, it was a fab-u-lous routine with ambitious lifts, light feet and effortless style. It's unlikely to be enough to topple Bill and HRVY from the top of the audience leaderboard, and in the dance that offers a carte blanche you might have expected a couple more tricks. But in a series with far too many couples choice street dances, it was a beautiful homage to classic Strictly at its finest.”
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