Jamie Borthwick and Nancy Xu have been crowned champions of the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, impressing judges with a perfect-scoring Quickstep to 'Merry Christmas Everyone'. The EastEnders actor received a 40 from the panel, with Anton du Beke calling him 'a surprise and a delight' and Craig Revel Horwood declaring him 'Fab-U-Lous'.
Six celebrities competed in the festive episode, including BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent, historian Dan Snow, rugby star Danny Cipriani, actress Tillie Amartey, and singer Keisha Buchanan. Scores ranged from Dan Snow's 30 for his Jive to Tillie Amartey's 39 for her Jive, with Jamie's perfect 40 securing the top spot.
The winner was decided by a combination of judges' scores and votes from the studio audience, a departure from the main series where viewers at home vote. Borthwick said: 'This is great, it’s been a wonderful experience, but we’re all winners here. This show is magic.'
The episode also featured a professional group dance to 'It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' and a performance by Eurovision star Sam Ryder, who sang his single 'You’re Christmas To Me'.
