Where Strictly Come Dancing Winners Are Now – From Sparkles to Surprises!
Where are your favourite Strictly Come Dancing winners now? From Natasha Kaplinsky’s philanthropic pursuits to tragic stories like Caroline Flack, explore how their lives have unfolded post-glitterball. Some have danced on to new heights while others faced personal battles, giving us a look at life beyond the strictly twirls!
As the curtain closes on yet another sparkling season of Strictly Come Dancing, it’s time to check in on our favourite winners who once twirled their way to glory. Since the show first glittered its way onto screens in 2004, we’ve seen stars in sequins relish in their fame—or occasionally trip over their own dance steps into the mundane. Some have danced right into new careers, while others have faced life’s dramatic twists off-stage. From tear-jerking tales to triumphant turns in public life, let’s sashay down memory lane to find out where these glitterball champs are today!
Natasha Kaplinsky bagged the first win in 2004 and jumped back into journalism, currently trading news for nurturing as she focuses on raising her two kids and advocating for Holocaust education. Not to brag, but she nabbed an OBE and became Chair of The Royal Ballet School. Meanwhile, Jill Halfpenny, who won in 2004, had a tough dance with heartbreak after losing her partner but has twirled back into love and penned a memoir. She shared, “For the first time since Matt died I have met someone and fallen in love.”
The cricket legend Darren Gough, who twizzled his way to victory in 2005, has transitioned seamlessly from cricket pitches to media commentary, even steering Yorkshire County Cricket Club through troubled waters. His love life seems more tangled than a bad pair of dance shoes, with his marriage & divorce rollercoaster adding a bit of drama off the pitch. Alesha Dixon, the dancing queen of 2007, won everyone’s hearts and is now juggling music, judging on TV shows, and navigating a split after an 18-year relationship with Azuka Ononye, proving that sometimes the samba isn’t the only dance we perform in life.
Fast forward to Abbey Clancy (2013) who went from model to podcast star, and had a small health scare when tight jeans had her doubting her mortality. Caroline Flack, the 2014 winner, took Love Island to dizzying heights, but tragically faced untimely death in 2020, igniting mental health discussions with her loss. Jay McGuiness from The Wanted wowed audiences with his show-stopping jive in 2015 and, after dealing with the passing of bandmate Tom Parker, reminded us that friendship endures through life’s chaotic dance.
Stacey Dooley shimmied her way to victory in 2018 and has since broadened her presenting reach whilst nurturing her adorable baby with her former Strictly partner. Kelvin Fletcher, another dancing sensation, swapped his glitter for tractors after buying a farm, and Rose Ayling-Ellis, breaking barriers with her silent dance in 2021, has become a deaf advocacy icon. Don’t you love a good glow-up story?
As the years unfold, these winners have certainly shown us that life after the dance floor is a unique choreography of successes, setbacks, and the occasional splat. It seems that some stars just take their glitter offstage, while others carry their sparkles into new ventures!
Strictly Come Dancing has been a cultural phenomenon since its debut in 2004, turning celebrities into ballroom champions and bringing joyous entertainment into homes. The show not only provided memorable dance performances but also served as a launching pad for many contestants, offering them new opportunities—some bright and glittering, others not quite so much. This article explores unfortunate tragedies that befell some winners alongside their career transformations, presenting a veritable kaleidoscope of life in the public eye.
In the end, the lives of Strictly’s champions highlight the multitude of paths that life can take post-dance. From glamorous careers to personal tribulations, the tapestry of their experiences is as rich and varied as the sequins they once wore. Each winner’s journey demonstrates that while the glitterball eventually fades, the journey continues, often with unexpected twists that even the best choreography couldn’t predict. Life, it seems, is the ultimate dance, whether we’re sequined up or simply in our joggers!
Original Source: www.express.co.uk
