Strictly Come Dancing’s first drag queen competitor, Tayce, and professional dance partner Kai Widdrington have been crowned the winners of this year’s Christmas special.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood praised their cha-cha to 100 Degrees by Kylie and Dannii Minogue, saying it was “absolutely fierce, serving realness, serving fab-u-lous”.
The pair received tens across the board for their routine, beating comedian Josh Widdicombe, actor Tamzin Outhwaite, DJ and podcaster Vogue Williams, Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and former racing driver Billy Monger to lift the trophy.
Tayce, from Newport in south Wales, competed on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2020, and despite losing out to Scotland’s Lawrence Chaney, she now has a trophy of her own.
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.
Following the routine from Widdicombe and his professional dance partner Karen Hauer, which scored them 36 out of 40, Strictly judge Anton Du Beke said he was “gobsmacked” at the “totally, totally brilliant” routine.
Du Beke, who has been with Strictly since its first series in 2004 – first as a professional dancer and then as a judge – also had a message for Hauer.
“It has finally happened, the moment has come. Karen has turned into me. She is the longest-serving professional on Strictly… congratulations, you’ve earned it.”
Irish TV star Vogue Williams and dance partner Gorka Marquez, jived to Rockin’ Robin by Bobby Day. They were scored 33 for their routine.
And former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite and Nikita Kuzmin danced a Viennese waltz to a rendition of Hallelujah by KD Lang.
Du Beke told them it was like his “favourite sherry trifle at Christmas”.
Billy Monger and Nadiya Bychkova danced the American smooth to Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John.
Gladiators star and Olympian Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and his dance partner Nancy Xu danced street commercial to the Glee cast version of Christmas Wrapping.
The winners were announced after combining the studio audience votes with the judges’ scores.
Last year’s special was won by EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, who competed in this year’s series of the One dance competition.
Tayce, 30, has secured her place in Strictly as the competition’s first drag artist contestant and winner.
This year’s show made headlines with another first, when blind contestant comedian Chris McCausland won the trophy.
