Strictly Come Dancing 2023: the Final, live

The judges’ pick for Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin: his week 2 quickstep to Puttin’ On the Ritz. This is a good test for a pair who have done amazing routines, but haven’t really convinced as a ballroom partnership. This time round, they work so much better together in driving around the floor – just a shame they break hold so much, now that they’ve nailed the hold, but that’s a feature of the original choreography, and the sheer musicality is really fantastic. Scores: 10, 10, 10, 10 – 40 (up from 36). My score: 10

The judges’ pick for Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell: his week 3 samba to Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton – aka his Romeo + Juliet routine from Movie Week. The panel fell in love with his snake hips, but there was definitely room for improvement. This encore version is much more controlled: more intentional arm and foot placement, better leg action, and more focussed partnering. Still flat feet in places, and they were nearly tripped up by the falling balloons, but a joyful party number. Scores: 9, 10, 10, 10 – 39 (up from 32). My score: 9

First up with their judges’ pick: Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola, reprising their week 5 paso doble to Insomnia by 2WEI. This is a great showcase for Leach’s improved confidence: she’s now a much more equal partner for Coppola in terms of intensity, drive and physical characterisation, and she gives a blistering performance of this full-throttle routine. Most impressively, it’s passionate without ever losing control. 9, 10, 10, 10 – 39 (up from 37). My score: 10

Their group number begins gimmicky (true to form for this series) with much fluttering of fans, but then we get some actual cha cha cha – it’s a Christmas miracle! Big banners flutter down from the ceiling to reveal our three finalists. This is the right side of camp. Also lovely to see Amy Dowden, who has been undergoing chemotherapy, back in the pro ranks.

The final begins with a particularly irritating, portentous montage featuring the finalists doing slo-mo strides, backed by overwrought classical music that suggests at least one of them wound up walking off a cliff.

The Strictly presenter shared a sneak peek of her sparkly final outfit on her Instagram. 

Shirley Ballas is bringing the glam too.

It’s an age-old Strictly debate: should we only have contestants with absolutely no dance training, to make it a more even field? I’ve written about this before – I think the show works best with a range of contestants, and everyone comes in with some kind of advantage, whether an athlete’s stamina or a presenter’s comfort in front of the camera.

This year, that discussion has become particularly fervent with the inclusion of Layton Williams, who has previously performed in demanding stage musicals like Billy Elliot and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Esther Rantzen, who was herself a Strictly contestant, has now weighed in.

In a letter to the Telegraph, Rantzen said: “A professional dancer like the brilliant Layton Williams should never be given a role as a contestant in Strictly.” She adds: “It’s unfair to all the others, and to the viewers.”

Read more about Rantzen’s views, plus Williams’s response to what he calls the “keyboards warriors”.

Whatever the result tonight, it will break new ground for Strictly. Williams and partner Nikita Kuzmin have the potential to be the first ever same-sex winners, while 20-year-old Brazier would become the youngest-ever winner.

None of the three professionals in the final have ever won before, so one of Kuzmin, Vito Coppola or Dianne Buswell will (deservedly) hoist the glitterball trophy for the first time. 

It’s not all sequins and smiles – at least not at the professional end of the spectrum – as head judge Shirley Ballas recently revealed on Desert Island Discs. Nicola Rayner delves into this fiercely competitive world, hearing from former Strictly pro Robin Windsor and more about politics, corruption, vast costs, body-shaming and backstabbing.

Read all about the dark side of ballroom here.

How does it feel to win Strictly, and how does it change your life? One man who knows all about that is 2022 champion Hamza Yassin, the gentle wildlife presenter who won the nation’s hearts last year and eventually lifted the glitterball trophy with partner Jowita Przystal.

Read our interview with Yassin, in which he chats about his Strictly experience, seeking golden eagles with Judi Dench, his unrequited love, and why he lives in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands.

Abbington aside, we will get to see all of the other celebrities who made this such a wonderful series, including Annabel Croft, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, a still-injured Nigel Harman, and Angela Rippon.

Rippon gives us the inside scoop on this joyful reunion and preparations for their final dance, plus who she’s backing to win, in her exclusive Telegraph Strictly diary.

Are you Team Ellie, Team Layton, Team Bobby – or as yet undecided? Let us know in the comments below!

Well, I said the entire cast is back, but that’s not quite true. In keeping with her mysterious and stormy Strictly exit, Amanda Abbington will not be participating in this year’s final – a pretty significant snub. That likely means her professional partner Giovanni Pernice will miss out too.

A spokesman for the show commented: “Amanda decided to withdraw from the competition, therefore she will not be returning for the final.” Which doesn’t tell us much of anything.

One of the great pleasures of the grand final is the chaotic group dance featuring the entire cast – from your standout favourites to those you’d entirely forgotten ever took part. They’ll all be weaved together in one big number celebrating some of their best bits.

If you want a refresher on this year’s line-up, check out our handy guide to how each pair fared in the competition, from the first couple eliminated through to the celebrity who just missed out on the final.

Each finalist will dance three times: two repeated dances from earlier in the season, the couple’s favourite and the judges’ pick, and one new number, the showdance.

Ellie Leach’s favourite is her week 7 American smooth to Ain’t That a Kick in the Head, which scored 39. Her judges’ pick is her week 5 paso doble to Insomnia, which scored 37 – so a slight room for improvement in both cases. She’s doing her showdance to a Jennifer Lopez megamix.

Layton Williams’s favourite is his week 8 Argentine tango to Eurovision winner Tattoo (39), and his judges’ pick is his week 2 quickstep to Puttin’ On the Ritz (36) – so likewise, his scores could tick up a bit. He’s doing a showdance to Friend Like Me from Disney’s Aladdin.

Bobby Brazier’s favourite is his week 7 Couple’s Choice to This Woman’s Work, dedicated to his late mother Jade Goody (37). His judges’ pick is his week 3 samba to Young Hearts Run Free, which scored 32 – so he has the biggest opportunity to improve. His showdance is set to a medley from movie La La Land.