Chris who? BBC’s Hollins makes Strictly Come Dancing final
Sunday, 13th December 2009
The least known celebrity in this year's Strictly Come Dancing Chris Hollins has surprised everyone in making it to next weekend's final.
The BBC Breakfast Sports presenter will face Hollyoaks hunk Ricky Whittle in the hotly-anticipated climax of the show after The Bill actress Ali Bastian was voted off by viewers last night.
And he’s the 1 / 2 favourite to win with bookmakers – with Ricky Whittle at 6/4.
Hollins has been the success story of the series, cementing his place in viewers' hearts with his determination despite looking more constipated than romantic when on the dancefloor
Bastian received a full set of 10s from the judges on the night but lacked Hollins' connection with the voting public and it was their vote that mattered.
Devastating
Upon hearing she would be leaving, Bastian said: "It's devastating but at the same time I feel like we're going out on a tremendous high.
"It's been an incredible experience and I've loved every moment of it."
Earlier in the evening a highly-charged American Smooth from Bastian and her dance partner Brian Fortuna ended with a kiss on the lips, with Bruce Forsyth quipping: "That was a real kiss at the end there, is that allowed?"
The pair then managed to score an amazing fifty out of fifty for the dance from the shows five judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli, Darcey Bussell and Alesha Dixon.
Favourite to win the show Ricky Whittle also wowed the judges scoring 96 points out of a possible 100 for his two dances, with Darcey Bussell commenting that it was so good she could not tell whether or not he was actually a professional dancer.
Sex-starved
Hollins, meanwhile, was told that he performed his rumba "like a sex starved fiend" by Bruno Tonioli. "You made a meal of her," he added.
And Revel Horwood told him that there was "no real improvement from week one".
But someone who thinks Hollins has what it takes to beat whittle next week is former 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge Arlene Phillips.
She told the Sun: "For the first time on Saturday night I suddenly thought, 'Do you know what? To my surprise, Chris Hollins could win this'. It was a complete and utter shock. I sat up in bed and went, 'Oh my goodness'.
"From never ever getting up on to the floor and dancing to where he is now, Chris has picked up so much.
"Viewers think Chris is fabulous because he hasn't stopped playing to the audience. You have to entice the viewers to vote for you, you have to draw them to you.
"The audience demand someone who they feel is connecting to them. Chris does that best of all. He goes out there and makes the most of every moment on the floor."
He may have the likeability factor but can Hollins and Ola Jordan beat Whittle and partner Natalie Lowe to the Strictly title?
Watch next week's series finale on BBC1, Saturday 6.35pm.
Image Credit: BBC
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