Strictly Come Dancing final 2017: Time, finalists, previous winners and everything else you need to know

Keep dancing!
Full marks: The celebrities will be hoping to impress the judges in Saturday's live final
BBC
Aime Grant Cumberbatch16 December 2017

After a whirlwind few months of sequins, salsa, scathing critiques from the judges and dodgy jokes from hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, the Strictly Come Dancing final is upon us.

But who will impress the viewers at home enough to take home the Glitterball trophy, and what will they have to do to win?

Here’s everything you need to know about the last stage of the ballroom show.

Who are the finalists?

The celebrity contestants who have battled it out to reach the competition’s closing stage are X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, Holby City actor Joe McFadden, actress Gemma Atkinson and TV personality Debbie McGee.

What do the contestants have to do to be crowned champion?

The remaining celebs will have to show off the dancing skills they’ve earned over the past few weeks over the course of not one, but three dances performed live in the Strictly studio.

These will include a showdance which is a mix of different styles of dancing not constrained by the usual rules that apply to Latin and ballroom routines.

The couples will also perform their own favourite dance as well as a judges’ pick routine.

Strictly Come Dancing 2017 - In pictures

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As usual the judges will be giving their scores and feedback at the end of each performance - but it will ultimately be down to the viewers to select the 2017 winner by voting for their favourite.

Who is favourite to win?

The current bookies’ favourite is the underdog of the series Joe McFadden with odds of 4/6. Next, with 9/4, is McGee who has persistently topped the leaderboard. In third is Burke, who despite wowing the judges almost every week has proved unpopular with viewers. And coming in last is Atkinson who has the least dance experience of all four competitors with odds of 20/1.

Who are the previous winners?

Last year, the Glitterball trophy was claimed by BBC sports presenter Ore Oduba, and before that it was The Wanted's Jay McGuiness in 2015. See below for a full list of Strictly champions.

Strictly Come Dancing winners

Ore Oduba – 2016

Jay McGuiness – 2015

Caroline Flack – 2014

Abbey Clancy – 2013

Louis Smith – 2012

Harry Judd – 2011

Kara Tointon – 2010

Chris Hollins – 2009

Tom Chambers 2008

Alesha Dixon – 2007

Mark Ramprakash 2006

Darren Gough – 2005

Jill Halfpenny – 2004

Natasha Kaplinsky – 2003

When is it on?

When presenters Daly and Winkleman say grand final – they mean it. The last episode of the series will be an epic two-and-a-half-hours long. To ensure you don’t miss a minute of the action tune in on December 16 at 6.30pm on BBC One.

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