Strictly Come Dancing thrilled fans with its 2024 Christmas special. (Image: BBC)
first drag artist, Tayce, and professional dancer, Kai Widdrington, have been crowned winners of the show’s special.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star and Widdrington lifted the Christmas star-shaped trophy after receiving a perfect score of four 10s for their Cha Cha to 100 Degrees by Kylie and Dannii Minogue. The winners were decided after combining the studio audience votes with the judges’ scores.
Judge was full of praise, saying it was “absolutely fierce, serving realness, serving fab-u-lous”.
Fans were thrilled that Tayce was crowned the winner and insisted that the 30-year-old is a contestant on the 2025 main show.
One fan tweeted: “This is the absolutely perfect partnership for the #strictly christmas special and can we all agree that we need Tayce on the main series next year it would be so perfect. This Cha Cha was so brilliant to watch and love the partnership with Kai.”
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Tayce and Kai Widdrington won Strictly’s 2024 Christmas special. (Image: BBC)
Another echoed: “One of my favourite Drag Race contestants of all time, @its_tayce is a born entertainer. Both beautiful and hilarious, she was the absolute highlight of the #Strictly Christmas special for me.”
And a third pleaded: “Please can we have Tayce on #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing 2025!!!!”
The Christmas special also saw performances from comedian Josh Widdicombe and Karen Hauer, who performed a Charleston dressed as penguins to the Glee cast version of Let It Snow.
Anton Du Beke referenced a previous dance partner on the show, former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who, despite having a surname similar to that of comedian Josh, has no relation.
Following the routine from Hauer and Widdicombe, which scored them 36 points, including a 10 from Du Beke, he said: “I have to tell you one thing though, it has finally happened, the moment has come.
“Karen has turned into me. She is the longest-serving professional on Strictly and they give you a Widdicombe, congratulations, you’ve earned it. I am gobsmacked, that was totally, totally brilliant.”
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Tamzin Outhwaite and Nikita Kuzmin stunned with their Viennese Waltz. (Image: BBC)
Also, part of the festive line-up was Irish TV star and Gorka Marquez, who jived to Rockin’ Robin by Bobby Day. They were scored 33 for their routine by the judges.
Elsewhere, former star Tamzin Outhwaite and Nikita Kuzmin danced a Viennese Waltz to KD Lang’s version of Hallelujah.
Du Beke told them: “It was like my favourite sherry trifle at Christmas, it was layered, you had the lovely creamy, lovely top, with that beautiful cherry on the top which was your lovely top line.
“your arms were like the whirling cream across the custard layer… Your lifts were gorgeous, give me another spoonful of your trifle.”
Former racing car driver and Nadiya Bychkova danced the American Smooth to Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and
Emma Bunton performed the Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1 on Strictly’s Christmas special. (Image: BBC)
Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and his dance partner Nancy Xu danced street commercial to the Glee cast version of Christmas Wrapping.
The festive special began with a group routine from the celebrities and their dance partners to I Love Christmas from the Scrooge film and ended with a closing number to Leona Lewis’s version of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.
The episode also saw Emma Bunton perform a rendition of the Spice Girls song 2 Become 1.
The show was hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, with the dances judged by Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Revel Horwood and Du Beke.