Hamza Yassin has won Strictly Come Dancing 2022.
The wildlife cameraman was left stunned after he triumphed during tonight's final of the BBC One Latin and ballroom competition, with the pair now following in the footsteps of last year's winners Giovanni Pernice and EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis. It was a hard fought contest this year, with four celebrities left in the running ahead of the final.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman looked glam tonight as they returned to host the BBC final, whilst the judges - Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas, Anton du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood - showed off their sparkliest numbers for the occasion.
Speaking about what the show meant to him, Hamza was in tears as he spoke about the importance of the show. Through tears, he said: "Words cannot describe how I feel right now. I want to thank one person in particular."
He turned to his professional dance partner and told her: "You are an angel disguised as a human being." The Strictly winner continued to say: "Thank you to everyone who voted for me. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Hamza and Jowita were overcome by emotion as they lifted the Glitterball Trophy.
Hamza then shared some advice he was given previously with Strictly viewers. He told people to "surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when you enter room", he said "the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next so keep climbing" before also adding that "slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be".
Jowita emotionally added: "Just so you know, anything is possible. He’s the proof anything is possible."
Ahead of the final, head judge Shirley Ballas admitted it was so hard to choose between the recently exited Will Mellor and all the other four Strictly finalists - Hamza Yassin, Fleur East, Molly Rainford and Helen Skelton.
"Normally when we have to send somebody it's very clear, it's very obvious when we have to. But I have to say, this last week, sending somebody home was very, very difficult as I thought the judges would agree and they didn't so it was left to me," she said.
"It was difficult because they all tried so hard. Will was a superstar in his own right, it is really, really just small details. You look at both couples and it just becomes a preference at the end of the day, I'm weighing up these mistakes with those mistakes."
For the final, the four remaining stars performed no less than three routines each whilst the celebrities who found themselves out of the competition earlier on returned to celebrate an incredible series with the whole cast of 2022.
Tonight, Fleur East and her partner Vito Coppola danced three routines including their judges' pick, a Samba to Hot Hot Hot by Arrow whilst their own favourite dance was the Couple's Choice routine they did to the Destiny’s Child Megamix. For their Show Dance, they wowed with an incredible performance to the track Find Me by Sigma featuring Birdy.
Helen Skelton and dance partner Gorka Marquez recreated their Jive to Tightrope by Janelle Monáe at the request of the judges and it was no surprise to see that their chosen routine was their Couple's Choice to Mein Herr by Liza Minnelli from Cabaret, which received huge praise from both the judges and the viewers at home the first time around. Helen - who has been vocal about how her confidence has improved since joining the show - also performed a fabulous Show Dance to the song Shine by Emeli Sandé.
Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu had found themselves in multiple dance-offs this series but made it all the way to the final, where the judges picked their Quickstep to Love On Top by Beyoncé. Their own Favourite Dance was the Rumba to All The Man That I Need by Whitney Houston whilst their Show Dance was to the track Kiss/1999 by Prince.
Hamza Yassin and Jowita Pryztal wowed with three routines, including a Salsa to Ecuador by Sash! featuring Rodriguez as picked for them by the judges. Their dance of choice was their Couple's Choice routine to Jerusalema, the Remix by Master KG featuring Burna Boy and Nomcebo Zikode and their Show Dance to Let’s Face The Music And Dance impressed the judges and those at home too.
