STRICTLY Come Dancing runner-up Bobby Brazier is the real winner of this year’s competition — as he is set to earn £2m over the next year.
EastEnders star and professional partner of Dianne Buswell was beaten by actresses Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola in Saturday night’s final.
4
Bobby Brazier, pictured with Strictly pro Dianne Buswell, is set to earn £2m over the next yearCredit: INSTAGRAM/DIANNE BUSWELL
4
Bobby and Dianna, pictured with head judge Shirley Ballas, were beaten in the final by Ellie Leach and Vito CoppolaCredit: INSTAGRAM
But Bobby, 20, is set to reap the biggest rewards with his profile-raising appearance.
He is already being eyed by the BBC to present a travel show with dad Jeff Brazier, 44.
Bobby, the son of tragic reality star Jade Goody, is also likely to be inundated with offers to star in West End shows, sign recording deals and appear in commercials.
A TV insider said: “From the start of Strictly, Beeb bosses realized they had a serious star on their hands — and the fact he reached the final was a complete bonus.
READ MORE ABOUT BOBBY BRAZIER
“So they are incredibly keen to keep him at the Corporation, not least because Bobby is seen as homegrown talent having got his big TV break on EastEnders.
“The travel show would be a clever way to get him to stay with the Beeb and is likely to be among the first of many projects to lure him – many with a hefty salary too.
“Getting dad Jeff involved is also a smart idea as his profile has been raised enormously by appearing in the Strictly audience over the last three months.
“The connection between Brazier junior and senior is obvious to all and the bosses want to take advantage of that.”
Meanwhile Ellie, 22, is reportedly set to host a top BBC show and “be a millionaire by 24”.
Brands and culture expert Nick Ede said the former Corrie star, who is said to be dating dance partner Vito, has “all the makings of a big star on stage and screen”.
He added: “If she really is seeing Vita, then they could be the next hot couple, like Gorka and Gemma Atkinson, and I can see them making a lot of personal appearances and appearances.
“They say when one door closes another opens – and for Ellie, this door is huge and covered in glitter, with movie star lights all around it.”
Ellie left ITV’s Corrie this year and is reportedly set to join BBC soap Waterloo Road.
She was the favorite to win Saturday’s final, never finished in the bottom two in the entire series and became the highest points woman this year.
And Ellie survived a scare when a lift in one of her three dances almost went wrong.
4
Ellie, 22, is reportedly set to host a top BBC show and ‘be a millionaire by 24’Credit: INSTAGRAM
4
Shirley Ballas was seen comforting Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin after the winners were announced Credit: INSTAGRAM
After lifting the Glitterball Trophy she said: “Words can’t describe how I feel right now and I can’t believe we’ve just won Strictly. It was a life changing opportunity and I had the best time of my life dancing with Vita every week.
“It was so special, and being able to do it with such a great teacher made it an experience I’ll never forget.
“Thank you very much for that Vito and thank you for finding a dancer in me.”
Italian Vito, 31, added: “This is unbelievable. . . it means the world to us.
“Ellie, my Lulu, I am so, so proud of you. I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked, the dedication and determination you’ve shown and how much you’ve grown as a person over the last three months.”
Actor Layton Williams, 29, who was also runner-up with his professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, also has a bright future.
Head judge Shirley Ballas was seen consoling the couple after the winners were announced.
10 MILLION WATCHED
SATURDAY’S final was watched by ten million viewers — more than last year.
The peak of 9.7 million viewers in 2022 when Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał triumphed.
But Saturday’s figure is well below the 12.3 million who watched Giovanni Pernice win in 2021 with Rose Ayling-Ellis — and the 13.2 million who saw Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse win in 2020.
However, far more people are likely to watch this year’s catch-up finale, so the final figure is likely to be much higher.
A respectable 10 million overnight stays still reflects what the successful Strictly series has enjoyed this year.
This year’s premier show had 1.1 million more viewers than 5.6 million in 2022.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education