A massive 91.2 per cent of Strictly Come Dancing viewers agree that the right person won last night, a new RadioTimes.com poll reveals.

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EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis became the latest champion after three powerful performances with dance partner Giovanni Pernice, beating John Whaite and Johannes Radebe for the title.

In comparison, only 8.8 per cent of people thought that Strictly's first ever all-male couple should have won instead. John and Johannes put up an outstanding fight but ultimately earned the title of runners-up.

It was an emotional night all round as the judges were moved all over again by Rose's tribute to the deaf community, and John once again channelled Jack Sparrow with his Paso Doble.

Ahead of the final, Giovanni said: “Obviously the silent moment was so powerful and because this got so much attention, Rose kept saying that the dance changed her life and lots of people’s lives so it’s just fair to do it again.”

After the live verdict, Rose thanked Giovanni for his friendship during their 13-week journey, saying he would "always have a piece of my heart", while Gio told her she had made his dreams come true after seven years on the show.

The professional dancer learned sign language to ensure he could communicate with Rose and teach her every week.

She previously explained: “He meets me halfway, so he’s literally come to my world and respects who I am and the way I learn things, and adjusted to teaching around that. It’s worked so well because sometimes when things don’t, he’s like, ‘OK, that didn’t work. Let’s try to make it work.’ And I think that’s been fantastic!”

Well, thanks to a strong bond and a lot of hard work, Rose and Giovanni are now the reigning king and queen of the ballroom.

Congratulations!

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.

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Authors

Laura Denby
Laura DenbyFreelance Writer

Laura Denby is a Freelance Soaps writer covering all the latest news in the Dales, Cobbles and East End for Radio Times. She's a soaps nerd with a love for comedy drama, and has also written for Digital Spy, Metro UK and Yahoo UK.

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