Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell win Strictly 2024

Comedian Chris McCausland has won Strictly Come Dancing.

McCausland won the glitterball trophy with his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell in tonight’s (14th December) live final, beating JB Gill & Lauren Oakley, Tasha Ghouri & Aljaž Škorjanec, and Sarah Hadland & Vito Coppola.

The finalists performed three times during the final – a judges’ pick, their favourite routine, and a no-holds-barred show dance.

Chris and Dianne performed their Couple’s Choice to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) for the judges, and a show dance set to You Get What You Give.

Their own pick was their Waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone.

JB and Lauren performed their Vienesse Waltz to Let’s Go Fly a Kite for the judges.

A show dance to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough followed, and the couple then revisited their Samba to Mas que nada.

The judges asked to see Tasha and Aljaž’scouple’s choice to What About Us again.

Their show dance was to Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing), and they chose to perform their American Smooth to Someone You Loved again.

Sarah and Vito performed their American Smooth to Proud at the judges’ behest. They then performed a show dance to Cabaret, before wrapping up by revisiting their Cha-cha-cha to Like a Prayer.

The judges awarded JB & Lauren and Tasha & Aljaž 119 points, Sarah and Vito 118 points, and Chris and Dianne 116 points, but it was the public who ultimately decided who would take home the glitterball trophy.

Of his victory, Chris said:

“It’s astonishing! I honestly thought I could go out in the first week or two. We’ve just lasted and lasted and she [Dianne] has got so much out of me. This is for her and everyone that has been told they can’t do something or who thought they couldn’t do something. This proves that with opportunity, support and determination anything can happen.”

Dianne added: “He says this is for me but we did this together. This is for both of us.”

Making history as the first blind contestant on the show, McCausland captivated both the Strictly judges and the audience, becoming the frontrunner as the final approached. At the age of 22, he lost his sight due to a hereditary condition known as retinitis pigmentosa. This condition, as explained by Moorfields Eye Hospital, involves the gradual deterioration of the light-sensitive cells in the retina.

Tonight’s final show also featured a performance from Raye with Oscar Winning Tears.

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One on Christmas Day at 3.55pm.