The highly-anticipated Strictly Come Dancing final is finally here - with just four remaining celebrities in reach of claiming the coveted glitterball trophy. Despite being a novice on the dancefloor, much-loved BBC wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin has made it to the end of the 2022 series and his learning disorder could have been his secret weapon to helping him get there, having described it as a unique 'gift'.
Hamza, 32, who is also a CBeebies presenter, has wowed the judging panel each week with his fancy footwork and incomparable rhythm. But it's not the first time he has been pushed out of his comfort zone.
He grew up in Northampton after arriving in the UK from Sudan aged eight. Once he turned 21, he decided to pack up his things and head far north to follow his dreams.
Hamza moved to the Scottish Highlands to be closer to nature and develop his career. He had previously taken a holiday with a friend to the Ardnamurchan peninsula - one of the most remote areas of Scotland and the most westerly point of Great Britain's mainland - and fell in love with it.
Before his BBC days, he lived in his estate car whilst studying nature, getting by with washing his clothes at the local community centre and using public toilets.
Although he was diagnosed with dyslexia as a teenager, it didn't put a stop to his education as he went on to achieve a degree in Zoology with Conservation from Bangor University and a Masters in Biological Photography and Imaging from the University of Nottingham.
The wildlife fanatic believes his secret weapon to winning the show could be down to his learning difficulty - which he says instead gives him a photographic memory, helping him remember the tricky steps during training sessions with his professional partner Jowita Przystal.
According to the Mirror, the Countryfile star said: "I think in 3D, I think in pictures, I have a photographic memory and that is all due to my dyslexia.
"l truly believe my dyslexia is my gift and I am the man I am now because of it."
He hopes he will be able to inspire young children to believe that anything is possible.
Hamza added: "If I can connect with one struggling kid who thinks he or she is not going to be anybody, if that kid can say, look at Hamza, he has dyslexia but he is living his dream, I'd be happy.
"If I can do it anyone can. Dyslexia is not a hindrance, it is a gift."
The signs and symptoms of dyslexia differ from person to person. Each individual with the condition will have a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses, the NHS says.
The Strictly Come Dancing final commences at 7.05pm on Saturday, December 17 on BBC One.
