Dance News
Holby star takes 'Strictly' crown
Saturday 20 December 2008
Chambers, 31, won over the public and danced his way to victory in the BBC 1 reality show, which has been mired in controversy this year.
After being named winner ahead of runner-up Rachel Stevens, the actor - who postponed his honeymoon to take part in the competition - said: 'The first person I want to thank is my wife.'
With new wife Clare in the audience, he added: 'I can't believe how jammy I am to have married you in the first place and I just can't wait to be a newlywed.'
Chambers thanked the public, his family, friends, his local pub in Parwich, Derbyshire - and his dance partner Camilla Dallerup.
'Tonight is about you because you absolutely deserve this more than anyone,' he told a tearful Camilla to applause from the audience.
Earlier, the show's presenters Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly began tonight's grand final by apologising to viewers for last week's voting debacle.
The BBC1 programme was hit by controversy after Chambers was saved from a certain place in the dance-off in last week's semi-final by a last-minute decision to let all three remaining couples go through to the final.
The decision was made after freak scoring results from judges meant two couples tied.
Singer Rachel Stevens and presenter Lisa Snowdon were awarded exactly the same amount of points.
This meant that no matter how much public support he received, Chambers could not be saved from the dance-off.
Viewers bombarded the BBC with thousands of complaints at the decision to let all the couples remain and the Corporation later decided that voters would be offered refunds.
Snowdon was awarded the maximum 80 points by the judges, ending the first show of the two-part final with three points, but was then elimated in the public vote.
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