Strictly Come Dancing 2024 final LIVE: Latest updates from the ballroom as JB, Sarah, Chris and Tasha face off to lift Glitterball trophy

The Strictly professionals, all dressed in gold, have opened the show with a dance to Dreamer by Livin’ Joy, excpet for finalists Aljaz, Vito, Dianne and Lauren who are in blue.

We now welcome the four celebrities, also in blue, as they take centre stage to finish the routine.

Here come Tess and Claudia…the final is well and truly under way.

Right, the time has come Strictly fans…the final is about to get under way.

Who will be lifting the Glitterball trophy aloft in around two-and-a-half hours? Will it be Chris, JB, Sarah or Tasha?

Stick with our coverage for live commentary and reaction as we guide you through the final Strictly action of 2024.

Craig Revel Horwood (pictured left) revealed he is taking ‘some much-needed time off’ in 2025 to celebrate his 60th birthday.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge, who’s birthday is on January 4th, said he feels ‘exhausted’ as he has been ‘working back-to-back constantly’ filming the BBC competition and performing in Peter Pan pantomime in Milton Keynes.

Craig confirmed after finishing the Strictly Live Tour in early February he will be ‘taking a couple of months to himself’.

The judge said: ‘I’ve been working back-to-back constantly and I’ve got my 60th next year. I feel, now more than ever, I need to take a couple of months to myself.’

Craig is set to start rehearsals for the Strictly Live tour in early January and revealed it gets ‘very emotional’ between the stars after they finish their last day.

• Read the story from our showbiz reporter Bethan Edwards here

Strictly Come Dancing revealed the full line-up for its 2025 UK tour on Tuesday, which will kick off in the new year – but two huge stars are missing.

Actor Jamie Borthwick, opera singer Wynne Evans, JB Gill and Tasha Ghouri will be donning their dancing shoes once again.

They will be joined by their co-stars Gladiator and Olympian Montell Douglas, actress Sarah Hadland and singer Shayne Ward who were previously announced.

Sadly, Semi-finalists Pete Wicks and Chris McCausland are missing and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans of the show.

The celebrity contestants who appeared on this year’s 20th anniversary series of the competition will take the show around the country from January 17 to February 9.

Joining them will be Strictly Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood will also take part and for the first time on the tour, Motsi Mabuse.

• Read the story by our showbiz reporter Laura Parkin here

Our readers have had their say on tonight’s Strictly final with plenty of support for Chris and Dianne before we get under way.

Here’s some of your comments on our live coverage:

Chris and Dianne to win. Incredible what they have achieved. All the test can rewatch their performance and improve if possible. Chris just doesn’t have that option yet still gives a great performance thanks to Dianne.

I am supporting JB and Lauren, but will be happy when Chris wins which we all know he will and Dianne deserves that glitter ball, she did an amazing job with Chris, just brilliant.

Chris and Buzzers all the way. They deserve it. What they’ve achieved is simply staggering.

Watch: Tasha recovers after cochlear implant falls out mid-performance

Strictly’s Tasha Ghouri has revealed that she had been inundated with deaf fans who have copied the sparkly cochlear implants she has proudly worn on the dance floor.

The deaf Love Islander star has her implant customised by Strictly’s costume team with bedazzled designs, styled to match her outfits.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s final, Tasha told MailOnline: ‘The amount of messages I’ve got, especially from younger women, younger children, teenagers—they’ve said, “I’ve got representation. I’ve seen you on TV. I’ve started decorating mine as well.”‘

‘That’s the power of representation. It’s so important, and I feel so thankful to have had the opportunity to help people find their confidence and be themselves.’

The podcast host also revealed how she removes her cochlear implant to manage sensory overload in the high-energy environment of Strictly Come Dancing.

• Read our exclusive story by our showbusiness reporter Tash Mosheim here

Watch: Sarah and Vito perform the Rumba in week 10

Sarah Hadland said competing on Strictly Come Dancing has made her realise she ‘put limits’ on herself as she likened her time on the ballroom to ‘living in technicolour’.

Speaking at a press conference, the 53-year-old British actress, who is most known for playing Stevie Sutton in BBC sitcom Miranda, reflected on being a finalist.

Discussing the lessons she has learned while being a competitor on the show, she said:

What it’s made me realise, which I did not expect to get out of this, is that I have actually put limits on myself. (Limits) I’ve decided.

And I don’t know if this is quite a common thing, when you’re a parent, or you’ve got other things going on in your life. I think sometimes you put all your energy into other things, and then, I think maybe what happens is you start to sort of think, you put all your belief maybe in other people, and you don’t do it for yourself.

Trying to summarise her Strictly experience, Hadland added:

I feel like I’m living in technicolour, and then when it’s over, I’m going to be living in black and white.

Watch: Chris’ emotional reaction after securing spot in final

Chris McCausland has revealed how he is preparing for the Strictly Come Dancing ‘comedown’ when the show ends tonight

The comedian, 47, has delighted audiences on the BBC show with his professional partner Dianne Buswell and is now looking to the future after the competition.

He will soon be starring in a new Sky original family Christmas film which will hit living rooms this Christmas Eve.

Chris will star in Bad Tidings with fellow comedian Lee Mack, 56, – which he has said will give him something new to focus on after the dancing competition comes to an end.

He told The Radio Times: ‘Something like Strictly is all-consuming, so there’s always going to be a comedown. Whether you win it or go out in the quarters or week seven or whatever, it will always be deflating.’

• Read the story by our showbiz reporter Amelia Wynne here

Watch: The moment Amy surprised JB with a cake on his birthday

Strictly finalist JB Gill believes he was ‘disadvantaged’ when his dance partner Amy Dowden pulled out of the competition over medical issues.

The singer, who is now dancing with Lauren Oakley, said he was shocked and found it ‘difficult’ when Ms Dowden quit the series after collapsing months after she was given the all clear from cancer.

Speaking about her exit as he bids to win the Glitterball on Saturday, Mr Gill said:

Initially I felt like it was a disadvantage, to be honest, because I was very used to dancing and working with Amy.It’s not something that’s ever happened on Strictly Come Dancing before.

Having to deal with that was a lot. I was a bit nervous, because people are invested in the partnerships, and that’s what they love about Strictly Come Dancing. And so I didn’t know how that would affect my journey throughout the whole process.

• Read the story by Grant Tucker here

Fifteen celebrities have participated in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing which launched three months ago on September 14.

Weekly eliminations began on September 29 which has whittled the cohort down to four in time for tonight’s final when we discover who will be crowned the best on the ballroom.

Tasha Ghouri, JB Gill, Sarah Hadland and Chris McCausland are competing in the final but let’s recap when each celebrity made their Strictly exits:

• September 29 – Tom Dean, Team GB Olympic swimmer, partnered with Nadiya Bychkova
• October 6 – Toyah Willcox, singer, actress and television presenter, and Neil Jones
• October 13 – Nick Knowles, television presenter, and Luba Mushtuk
• October 20 – Paul Merson, former England footballer and pundit, and Karen Hauer
• October 27 – Dr. Punam Krishan, Morning Live doctor and author, and Gorka Márquez
• November 3 – Sam Quek, Olympic hockey player and television presenter, and Nikita Kuzmin
• November 10 – Shayne Ward, former winner of The X-Factor and actor, and Nancy Xu
• November 17 – Wynne Evans, opera singer, and Katya Jones
• November 24 – Jamie Borthwick, EastEnders actor, and Michelle Tsiakkas
• December 1 – Montell Douglas, Olympic sprinter and Gladiators star, and Johannes Radebe
• December 8 – Pete Wicks, television personality from The Only Way Is Essex, and Jowita Przystał

When McFly musician Danny Jones was crowned King of the Jungle in Sunday’s I’m A Celebrity final…his victory spelled good news for Sarah Hadland and Tasha Ghouri.

For more than 10 years, whenever a man wins the ITV reality show, a woman lifts the Glitterball trophy and vice versa.

The curious streak began in 2012 when Olympic gymnast Louis Smith won Strictly and EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks wo I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

It continued last year when Ellie Leach won Strictly while Sam Thompson was crowned Down Under.

So will Sarah or Tasha ensure the connection lasts another year or will it be broken by JB Gill or Chris McCausland.

Chris is the frontrunner with odds ats 1-10, compared to fellow finalists JB Gill at 14-1, Sarah Hadland at 16-1, and Tasha Ghouri at 25-1.

Chris McCausland has emerged as the hot favourite to win this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The comedian’s odds of taking home the Glitterball trophy have shortened further overnight ahead of Saturday’s final.

He was 1/12 on Tuesday and has been cut into odds of 1/16 as of Wednesday morning, giving him an implied probability of 94% to win.

There is a considerable gap to JB Gill who is second in the market at 16/1, with Sarah Hadland and Tasha Ghouri even further out at 28/1 and 33/1 respectively.

Lee Astley, spokesperson for BetIdeas, said: ‘Comedian Chris McCausland continues to shorten in the market to win Strictly Come Dancing’s grand final on Saturday night.

‘McCausland was as short as 1/12 yesterday, but support continues to flood in as his odds have been cut into 1/16, an implied probability of 94% to take home the Glitterball trophy this weekend.’

• Read Sean O’Grady’s story here

Tasha Ghouri has unquestionably been one of the best dancers to appear on the ballroom this series with some stunning performances that have seen her achieve two perfect 40 scores.

But her history as a commercial dancer appears not to have endeared her to the public, having twice been forced into the dreaded dance-off in recent weeks.

The Yorkshire-born model rose to fame after appearing on the 2022 edition of Love Island.

The 26-year-old wears a cochlear implant, which memorably fell out mid-performance of an Argentine Tango last month, which has led to her becoming a disability campaigner.

Comedy actor Sarah Hadland is arguably the biggest surprise success of this year’s Strictly after some impressive performances with last year’s pro winner Vito Coppola.

Hadland has consistently found herself at the upper end of the leaderboard following some standout routines including a near perfect 39 in Blackpool in her couples choice dance.

Having fallen in love with the ballroom, the Miranda actor revealed she is working on a script for a new comedy centred around a dance instructor with Paul Coleman, co-writer of Peter Kay series Car Share.

As well as Miranda, Hadland is also known for her appearance in comedy shows That Mitchell and Webb Look, Horrible Histories and The Job Lot.

The JLS singer has all the momentum heading into the race for the Glitterball trophy having topped the leaderboard during the semi-final and Week 11.

In total the 38-year-old South Londoner has topped the leaderboard on six occasions with Amy Dowden and Lauren Oakley, after he was forced to switch professionals following the former’s collapse.

Almost eliminated on October 20 when he beat Paul Merson in a dance off, JB has gone from strength to strength culminating in a 40 points score for his perfectly performed Salsa on Saturday.

Away from the ballroom, he is perhaps best known for his time in X-Factor boyband JLS but is also known for presenting television shows including Songs of Praise and CBeebies series Down on the Farm.

Comedian Chris McCausland is the favourite heading into tonight’s final having won the hearts of the nation with his inspiring journey.

The 47-year-old Liverpudlian is Strictly’s first ever blind contestant to step onto the ballroom but it hasn’t stopped him pulling off some memorable routines with his partner Dianne Buswell.

His best performance came in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom where his American Smooth earned him 37 points which included two maximum 10s.

McCausland is known to television audiences for his role as Rudi in the CBeebies show Me Too! and his appearances on comedy panel and live stand up shows.

Before we begin our build-up to tonight’s final, let’s just remind you of the four finalists competing for Strictly glory and their chances of winning.

Strictly Come Dancing fans are set for an early Christmas treat during Saturday’s finale with Gavin & Stacey favourite Nessa is set to make a surprise appearance.

Insiders have revealed that actress Ruth Jones is set to transform into her Welsh sitcom character to read out the voting terms and conditions during the live final.

Ruth will perform the short skit during the competition ahead of the highly-anticipated final episode of Gavin & Stacey airing on Christmas Day.

The appearance will come as celebrities JB Gill, Sarah Hadland, Tasha Ghouri and Chris McCausland battle it out to lift the Glitterball trophy.

A source told The Sun: ‘The BBC have gone all out with their Strictly surprises this year — and having Ruth in as Nessa is the cherry on the cake. Last Saturday they had Wallace and Gromit read the Ts and Cs for voting, and Ruth will be doing a skit as Nessa this week.’

• Read the story by our showbiz reporter Bethan Edwards here

The BBC has revealed the full list of songs and dances for all performances later.

• Show Dance to a Motown Medley
• Viennese Waltz to Let’s Go Fly A Kite from Mary Poppins
• Samba to Mas Que Nada by Sergio Mendes

• Show Dance to You Get What You Give by New Radicals
• Couple’s Choice to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon
• Waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers

• Show Dance to Cabaret by Metropole Orkest
• American Smooth to Proud by Heather Small
• Cha Cha to Like A Prayer by Madonna

• Show Dance to Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman
• Couple’s Choice to What About Us by P!nk
• American Smooth to Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi

The finalists will each perform three times later – meaning there’ll be a dozen dances to dissect over the course of the evening.

Each couple will select their favourite dance from the series, one chosen for them by the judges and a new showdance routine.

The judges will give scores for each performance but the winner will be chosen by the viewers in a public vote.

While the results of the eliminations have been shown on Sunday despite being recorded after the live show, tonight we will know the outcome with the winners crowned.

Traditionally, the final also sees the return of last year’s champion so we can expect to see Ellie Leach return to the ballroom before the baton is handed over.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the Strictly Come Dancing final as we find out who will get their hands on the Glitterball trophy.

Tonight’s fab four competing to join the legion of celebrity ballroom champions are JB Gill, Sarah Hadland, Chris McCausland and Tasha Ghouri.

Each will perform three routines with their professional partners over the course of the evening before the public decides the overall winner.

Stick with us as we guide you through tonight’s final with all the build-up, live commentary from 6pm, plus reaction to the outcome.

To get involved in our readers round-up, you can let us know your thoughts by posting in our comments box or emailing me at jamie.bullen@mailonline.co.uk