Strictly Come Dancing could see same-sex couple crowned as stars battle it out in final
Ellie Leach, Layton Williams and Bobby Brazier are set to battle it out on the dancefloor in a bid to be crowned the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2023.
With an average age of 23, this year's trio are the youngest line-up to make it to the last week of the BBC show, which will air on Saturday night.
Despite sticking to much of it's original format, the show could end in a historic result as it may be the first time a same-sex dance pairing lifts the famous glitterball trophy.
Strictly has featured a number of same-sex couples over the past three seasons, with Katya Jones and Nicola Adams in 2020, semi-finalists Johannes Redabe and John Whaite in 2021, and Jayde Adams and Karen Haur in 2022.
But stage and screen star Williams and his partner Nikita Kuzmin are the first pairing to have made it to the final.
Who will be dancing in final?
Leach and her partner Vito Coppola have chosen their American smooth to Ain’t That A Kick In The Head by Robbie Williams as their favourite dance.
The former ITV actress previously said she felt they hit their stride in the competition when last performing this routine at the halfway mark as it secured them a score of 39 out of 40 and placed them top of the leaderboard that week.
They will also perform their dramatic paso doble to Insomnia by 2WEI again with their show dance set to be a Jennifer Lopez megamix.
Meanwhile, Williams and his partner have picked their Argentine tango to Tattoo by Loreen as their favourite dance, which received a score of 39 last time they performed it during the Blackpool special.
The judges have also selected for them to revisit their quickstep to Puttin’ On The Ritz by Gregory Porter from week two, which they received a score of 36 points for, and their show dance will be to Friend Like Me by Ne-Yo.
Elsewhere, Brazier and his partner Dianne Buswell will tug on heartstrings again as they reprise their emotional couple’s choice routine which was dedicated to Brazier’s late mother Jade Goody, who died in 2009 aged 27 with cervical cancer.
The pair will also return to their samba to Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton, which the judges’ have picked for them, while their show dance will be a La La Land medley.
Annabel Croft narrowly missed out on a place in the final after becoming the 10th celebrity eliminated from the competition last weekend.
The 57-year-old former tennis player and her dance partner Johannes Radebe lost out following a dance-off against Brazier and Buswell.
What are the odds?
Former ITV Coronation Street star Leach, 22, is currently the bookies’ favourite to lift the glitterball trophy, with Coral bookmakers giving her 1-10 odds.
Bad Education actor Williams, 29, follows behind in second with 8-1 odds while EastEnders’ Brazier, 20, is coming third place with 12-1 odds.
Across the finale, they will all perform a routine chosen by the judges, their own favourite dance and finally a show dance.
What to expect and where to watch the final
The finale will also see global superstar Cher perform and the cast of 2023 will return for one more routine.
This time the judging panel of Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and head judge Shirley Ballas will offer their feedback and scores as guidance on each of the performances.
The public then ultimately decide who will receive the coveted glitterball trophy for 2023.
Last year’s competition saw wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin and his professional partner Jowita Przystal crowned the winners.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final will air live on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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