Joe McFadden is the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2017

He and his partner Katya beat Gemma Atkinson, Alexandra Burke and Debbie McGee in the grand final, which saw every couple pull out all the stops with three dances each.

Joe and Katya performed the Viennese Waltz for their Judges' Pick and earned a score of 39, with Darcey Bussell saying: "This is one of my favourites of the series."

They picked up another 39 points with their Showdance to You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates, telling the story of Cinderella and her Prince Charming. "Timeless magic, I just didn’t want the fairytale to end," Darcey declared, while Craig Revel Horwood didn't have a bad word to say: "The dance is fantastic, I mean you’re just great."

But the couple saved the best till last, scoring their first 40 of the series with their "toy soldiers" Charleston.

"This is definitely the way to close the show," Shirley Ballas told him. And he lived up to that nickname she gave him all those weeks ago: "I called you Dark Horse Joe – and you’ve come galloping along."

Although he became the bookies' favourite in the run-up to the Strictly final, Joe started off as an underdog in the competition. He scored 29 points in week one and 22 points in week two and was hardly on track for stardom.

But before Blackpool Week we predicted he would lift the Glitterball Trophy – and he did not disappoint.

As Joe closed the show, Craig delivered his final verdict of the series: "There’s only one word really that will describe that darling it has three syllables it begins with F. Fab-u-lous!"

The 42-year-old is now the oldest winner in Strictly history, beating Chris Hollins who was 38 when he won the series in 2009.