Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell may have just been crowned Strictly Come Dancing champions, but their ‘split’ has already been confirmed. The pair will not be participating in the show’s upcoming live tour, much to the disappointment of their many fans who voted for them.
The duo won the hearts and admiration of the nation during their time on Strictly. Chris and Dianne entered the final as one of the most heavily favoured couples in the show’s history. Bookies had them pegged as 1/18 dead certs to win, indicating that victory was theirs to lose.
Despite being clear favourites, eventual winners Chris and Dianne still had a lot to prove in the final. Like the other three couples, they had to perform three different dances in the ballroom.
They opened with their Couple’s Choice, chosen for them by the judges, followed by their Show Dance. They scored their first ever perfect 40 at the perfect moment with their third and final number – a waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone, reports Chronicle Live.
Both Chris and Dianne were overcome with emotion when the music stopped on the latter. This might have something to do with the fact that unlike Sarah and Vito, JB and Lauren, and Tasha and Aljaz, they won’t be doing the tour.
This leaves the show in the unusual and undesirable situation where the winners have no involvement whatsoever. Tess Daly referenced Chris and Dianne’s waltz as their ‘last dance’.
The sentiment was also echoed by Claudia Winkleman who noted that while it was their ‘last dance’, their friendship would continue beyond the show.
Chris’ absence from the Strictly tour is due to scheduling conflicts with his stand-up gigs, which have seen an increase in dates due to high ticket demand.
Speaking about his win, Chris said: “It’s astonishing, I don’t know what to say. I thought I would go out in the first week or two. We have lasted and lasted and she has got so much out of me, she deserves this so much.
“This is for her and for everyone out there who thought… who got told they couldn’t do something or thought they couldn’t do it. With opportunity and support and determination anything can happen.”
Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.