The four remaining celebrities will take to the dancefloor for the final time tonight
Excitement is building ahead of tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing final. The four remaining celebrities will take to the dancefloor for one last time for the BBC programme’s showpiece event.
Chris McCausland is the overwhelming favourite to lift the glitterball in Saturday’s final, which gets underway at 6pm on BBC One. The Scouse comedian is the show’s first ever blind contestant and his inspiring performances have won over the hearts of the nation.
The 47-year-old admitted he was emotional as he rehearsed his final three performances with Dianne Buswell. In a message with fans on Instagram this week, he said: “We rehearsed the Waltz and I realised this is going to be the last dance that we do and I imagined it all being over on Saturday and it being the last time that we dance on the show and it upset me.”
Chris’ Waltz will be a nod to his Liverpudlian roots as he will perform the dance to You’ll Never Walk Alone in a repeat of the routine that stirred the emotions earlier on this season. Data has suggested his decision to perform a Waltz could be what seals his victory as this is the performance that has contributed to the fewest eliminations of any dance since 2018.
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Chris’ nearest competitor is expected to be JB Gill, who has soared above Sarah Hadland and Tasha Ghouri to become the second favourite to win the competition. However, the JLS singer’s hopes may have been dashed as him and his partner, Lauren Oakley, have decided to incorporate a Samba into their final three dances.
Data has suggested this could hinder his hopes of a surprise victory as the routine is regarded as one of the most difficult performances. 16 of the past 73 eliminations have come after a contestant has danced a Samba and a spokesperson for Slots Calendar, who conducted the research, said JB’s decision may have all but sealed Chris’ victory.
Viorel Stan said: “Chris McCausland is the hot favourite to win this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing and his choice of dance in this weekend’s final has only strengthened his chances.
“McCausland will perform the Waltz with partner Dianne Buswell, which has been a favourable choice throughout the years, having led to just one of the past 73 eliminations.
“JB Gill – who is seen by many to be McCausland’s closest challenger – may have ended his hopes of victory by selecting the Samba as it is statistically the toughest dance, having been responsible for 21.92% of eliminations since 2018.
“Sarah Hadland is set for a tough test as she dances the Cha-Cha-Cha, responsible for 10.96% of eliminations, whilst Tasha Ghouri should have it easier with the American Smooth (5.48%).”
However, the data may not tell the full story as JB and his partner, Lauren Oakley, have previously danced the Samba to great success this season. Speaking on last night’s It Takes Two, JB branded this dance as the turning point in their season that sparked a change of momentum that led to them becoming second favourites to win the glitterball.
He said: “This was one of the dances that was a turning point for me to live the dance, and I think dancing is very much about feeling. It’s an expression, and I’ve learned that throughout the series, and I feel that was a turning point.”