Comedian's success in Australia's Strictly

Comedian Celia Pacquola has won Australia’s Dancing With The Stars.

After she and her professional dance partner Jarryd Byrne were crowned champions on the strength of viewers’ votes, judge Sharna Burgess said: ‘What I love about Celia winning this competition, is that she is every woman. 

‘She had the ups and the downs, she showed her vulnerability and her strength. It was a gift to watch her blossom and she truly deserved the win.’

The comic – a regular visitor to the UK with several Edinburgh Fringe runs under he belt – said: ‘I really think it will be a few months from now before I realise or understand what this all means. 

‘For right now, I’m so happy for Jarryd, he deserves this so much. It feels great to be on a show that’s inspirational and aspirational, it feels like we did some good.’

The couple won a $50,000 donation to Safe Steps Family Violence Response in the competition, which is the equivalent to the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Pacquola also stars in the  Australian sitcoms Utopia and Rosehaven and while she was based un the UK her TV and radio appearances included  The Rob Brydon Show, Russell Howard's Good News, Live At The Apollo and The Unbelievable Truth.

Today's Dancing With The Stars final took place earlier than planned so it could happen before social distancing restrictions got too tight in Australia.

Nonetheless, viewers previously expressed anger that the contestants weren’t keeping far enough away from each other to stop the spread of coronavirus.

But the Channel 10 show was filmed without a studio audience and judge Craig Revel Horwood offered his verdict last night remotely from the UK.

Published: 29 Mar 2020