Tayce wins Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special

Tayce has made history on Strictly as the show's first-ever drag performer.

Tayce, the first drag queen to compete on Strictly Come Dancing, and her professional partner Kai Widdrington have won this year’s Christmas special.

Judge Craig Revel Horwood commended their cha-cha to "100 Degrees" by Kylie and Dannii Minogue, calling it "incredibly intense, exuding authenticity, and truly fabulous."

The duo scored perfect marks for their performance, outshining comedian Josh Widdicombe, actress Tamzin Outhwaite, DJ and podcaster Vogue Williams, Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, and ex-racing driver Billy Monger to claim the trophy.

Tayce, who hails from Newport in south Wales, took part in the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2020. Although she didn't win against Scotland's Lawrence Chaney, she has now earned a trophy of her own.

The holiday special kicked off with a group performance featuring the stars and their dance partners, dancing to "I Love Christmas" from the Scrooge movie. It wrapped up with a final act set to Leona Lewis's rendition of "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day."

Judge Anton Du Beke from Strictly was left in awe after watching the performance by Widdicombe and his dance partner Karen Hauer, which earned an impressive score of 36 out of 40. He described the routine as "completely outstanding" and expressed that he was "absolutely amazed" by their performance.

De Beke, who has been a part of Strictly since its debut season in 2004—initially as a professional dancer and later as a judge—also shared a message for Hauer.

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. Karen has now taken on my role. She has been with Strictly the longest of any professional dancer... congratulations, you truly deserve it!

Irish television personality Vogue Williams and her dance partner Gorka Marquez performed a lively jive to "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day. Their routine earned them a score of 33.

Former EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite and Nikita Kuzmin performed a Viennese waltz to KD Lang's version of "Hallelujah."

Du Beke mentioned that it reminded him of his "favorite sherry trifle during the holiday season."

Billy Monger and Nadiya Bychkova performed the American smooth dance to "Merry Christmas" by Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, known for his role in Gladiators and as an Olympian, teamed up with his dance partner Nancy Xu to perform a street-style commercial dance to the Glee cast's rendition of "Christmas Wrapping."

The winners were revealed after tallying the votes from the studio audience along with the judges' ratings.

Last year's champion was Jamie Borthwick, an actor from EastEnders, who also took part in this year's season of the BBC One dance competition.

Tayce, who is 30 years old, has made history by becoming the first drag artist to compete in and win Strictly.

This year’s event captured attention for another groundbreaking moment when visually impaired comedian Chris McCausland took home the trophy.