Chris McCausland was crowned the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2024 on Saturday night, defeating Sarah Hadland, Tasha Ghouri and JB Gill. The comedian and his partner Dianne Buswell performed three dances at the Elstree ballroom to secure the glitterball trophy. However, in an unusual move, Chris will not take part in the official Live Tour starting in January, instead opting to perform his comedy material on a near sold-out solo tour across the UK.
Past winners have often seen their careers boosted by the show, securing lucrative campaigns, West End roles, or even romance. But not all have waltzed off into the sunset. Here is a look at how previous champions have fared.
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola won in 2023. After her victory, Ellie landed her first theatre role as Miss Scarlett in the stage production Cluedo 2 – The Next Chapter. Her preparation was documented in the reality series Drama Queens, where she opened up about life post-Strictly and admitted she still misses Coronation Street, where she worked from age 11.
Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal won the 2022 final despite finishing bottom of the leaderboard. The wildlife cameraman continued his passion for documentary-making, appearing on shows from CBeebies to Countryfile. At the Pride of Britain awards, Hamza admitted struggling with fame, saying: 'I’m just a normal person... Strictly raised my profile a thousand times more than I was expecting.'
Rose Ayling-Ellis made history in 2021 as the first deaf contestant on Strictly, winning with Giovanni Pernice. Her moving Couple's Choice dance, which featured a moment of silence, earned a perfect 40 and remains one of the show's most memorable performances.
