Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
indy100
indy100
Liam O'Dell

‘Wholesome’ Strictly Come Dancing final praised by viewers as ‘representation wins’

Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice on ‘Strictly Come Dancing'

(Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

Just when everything else in the world was getting a bit much, the final of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday was the glimmer of joy everyone needed - as a black woman, Deaf woman and same-sex couple made it into the top three.

After TV presenter AJ Odudu was forced to pull out of the competition due to an ankle injury, EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis took on Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite in a glitzy final.

Following three dances by both couples, Ms Ayling-Ellis and her dance partner Giovanni Pernice were crowned champions for 2021.

In a video reacting to their win, the actress said: “I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say. I feel like I’m living in a dream, it doesn’t feel real.

Mr Pernice agreed: “It doesn’t feel real. We just wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted for us. You made this happen.

“You are unbelievable, you are part of the victory, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

“You did it Rose, I’m proud of you.”

In other news, we are pleased to report that our tear ducts are working.

With a male same-sex couple also in the final of the BBC competition, many took to Twitter to celebrate the representation amongst the finalists:

It was also pointed out that with Mr Pernice being Italian, the country has won a lot of things this year:

As the bond between the two couples brought everyone to tears – the word “sobbing” trended on Twitter during the show - judge Anton du Beke summed up how we were all feeling:

Rose and Giovanni, John and Johannes, AJ and her partner Kai are all winners when that much representation hits our screens on a Saturday night.

We’ll probably need a week to recover from this.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Wrestler, film star – and future president? Why we should all take Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson seriously
The WWE icon, already one of Hollywood’s highest-paid film stars, has shown himself to be ‘focus group-proof’
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Eating this fruit before bed can help you sleep better – but expert opinions are divided
TikTok strikes again with its avocado sleep hack – but does it actually work?
T3
T3
Cher was ‘shocked’ to discover her legal name after birth certificate mix-up
Pop icon had gone for years without knowing what was written on her birth certificate
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Chuck Woolery, host of ‘Love Connection’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’, dies aged 83
Woolery played matchmaker on popular dating show ‘Love Connection’ for 11 years
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
How to make your outlets and switches look nicer, according to interior designers
Make the mundane beautiful with these designer-approved methods
Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
The Observer view: Selling a piece of fruit for £4m isn’t bananas, it’s decadent. Art is better than this
The sale of Maurizio Cattelan’s work, Comedian, to a crypto entrepreneur is a grim concept that has little to do with disruption
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play