Where Strictly winners are now – West End stardom to heartbreak and tragedy

A stint on Strictly Come Dancing can prove career gold for the lucky celebs taking part with lucrative campaigns, West End roles and even romance awaiting them at the finish line.

Performing on prime time BBC for months on end has propelled some ailing stars back to the big time with prospects brighter than their sequined costumes.

But while getting your hands on the coveted Glitterball Trophy can often lead to dizzying success, not everybody waltzes off into the sunset.

Strictly is renowned for being one of the toughest reality TV series to do well in.

Hours of training, getting savaged by the judges, facing a public vote off and not to mention the added pressure of dancing live to millions on a Saturday night can all take a toll on competitors.

But for those that have that have made it all the way to the showdance and beyond, it can be a hot ticket to a

As the finale for 2020 awaits we take a look back out our previous Strictly winners and see what happened next after their last spin on the dancefloor.

Kelvin Fletcher – 2019

Emmerdale’s Kelvin became the unlikely success story of Strictly 2019 after winning the series with Oti Mabuse when producers only drafted him in at the every last minute.

The soap star was called up to replace Made in Chelsea’s Jamie Laing after he injured his leg in rehearsals and was forced to drop out.

Three months after his Strictly triumph, Kelvin announced a theatre role after landing a part as the Prince in a Sheffield production of Sleeping Beauty for a rumoured £100,000 fee.

That was on top of topping the bill at the Strictly live show this year.

However, due to 2020 cancelling most of our plans, Kelvin was sadly unable to perform in either production.

He did manage to make a return to the BBC studios ahead of this year’s final for It Takes Two where he revealed he is championing Jamie to win.

Stacey Dooley – 2018

Documentary maker Strictly famously bagged a boyfriend as well as the Glitterball Trophy after winning the sixteenth series of the show with Kevin Clifton.

Shortly after the final, Stacey fell victim to the so-called ‘Strictly Curse’ and split with her long-term partner before confirming rumours that she had moved on with thrice married Grimbsy native Kevin.

Two years later and the pair are still very much in love and have moved into their own place together.

Stacey’s career also went off in a new direction as she made the switch from documentaries to reality TV by landing a role presenting BBC Three’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star.

However, she hasn’t turned her back on the hard-hitting series that made her famous.

Stacey filmed a string of documentaries directly after Strictly – including Stacey Meets the IS Brides – and is currently working on more exciting projects for next year.

Joe McFadden – 2017

Holby City actor Joe was the surprise winner of Series 15 after his storming final performances with Katya Jones positioned him a last minute favourite among viewers.

He topped the leaderboard just once throughout the whole series but still saw off stiff competition from Alexandra Burke, Debbie McGee and Gemma Atkinson to clinch the trophy.

After his win Joe bagged a spot on the UK tour of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Ore Oduba – 2016

After winning the show with Joanne Clifton in 2016, presenter Ore went on to big things.

He kick-started a career in musical theatre, starring in the UK tour of Grease – where he played the teen angel – before appearing alongside Jason Manford in Curtains the musical.

Ore then made his West End debut in January this year when Curtains landed a permanent spot in London – shortly before the theatres were sadly forced to close due to the coronavuris pandemic.

But Ore has not been short of TV work since winning strictly, going on to front the main coverage of Sport Relief and land hosting jobs on This Morning and The One Show.

He has also been able to show off his acting skills, playing the role of news anchor Akintola in BBC One drama Noughts + Crosses.

Jay McGuiness – 2015

The Wanted star Jay sealed his place in Strictly history with his performance of that Pulp Fiction jive in Musicals week.

A repeat of the much-loved routine with partner Aliona Vilani in the series finale helped push the duo towards the Glitterball Trophy that year.

Jay went on to show off his newly honed dance skills in London Palladium show Rip it Up the 60s alongside fellow Strictly stars Harry Judd, Aston Merrygold and Louis Smith.

Caroline Flack – 2014

Tragic Caroline hailed Strictly as ‘the best experience of my whole life.’

Her time on the show came just after she had been replaced as the host of The Xtra Factor and following a difficult break-up.

From the first week the presenter’s enthusiasm for performing shone and she gave the public a very different side to her talents as the competition progressed.

Dancing with Pasha Kovalev, Caroline landed three perfect scores of 40 in the finale with her performances, that included a spine-tingling show-stopper to Angels by Robbie Williams.

The routine was movingly repeated in a special tribute to Caroline this year following her death.

The former Love Island host took her own life at the age of 40 in February this year while awaiting a trial for assault.

Her news sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry with BBC bosses paying tribute on the official Strictly social media page at the time.

They wrote: “The entire Strictly Come Dancing family are heartbroken to hear this incredibly sad news.

“Caroline had an infectious energy and passion for dance, she shone brightly in the Strictly ballroom every week and became an incredible champion.

“Words cannot express our sadness, she was simply one of a kind. We are sending our love to all her family and friends during this difficult time”.

Caroline was then remembered by her co-stars and the judges in a special tribute episode earlier this year.

Abbey Clancey – 2013

The model wife of Peter Crouch reached a whole new audience with her impressive performances on the eleventh series of Strictly.

Abbey saw off stiff competition in the final from Natalie Gumede and Susanna Reid to win the show with Aljaz Skorjanec.

After her triumph, Abbey was announced as the new host of the revived series of Britains’ Next Top Model – nine years after she started her own career on the reality show.

She also went on to land a lucrative collaboration with high-street retailer Lipsy, who she continues to release collections with today.

Louis Smith – 2012

Following his success in the 2012 Olympics, gymnast Louis turned his attentions to Strictly Come Dancing later that same year.

His biggest rival Denise Van Outen was the top scorer for nine of the twelve weeks, but Louis managed to steal a place in viewer’s hearts and went on to win the show with Flavia Cacace.

After his success on the dance show, Louis went on represent Great Britain again at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – where he finished second in the pommel horse behind teammate Max Whitlock.

But Strictly also helped his career in other ways. He appeared in the London Palladium show Rip it Up the 60s, alongside Harry Judd, Aston Merrygold and Jay McGuiness in 2018 and also starred in a 70s adaption of the show the following year.

Harry Judd – 2011

The McFly drummer was mobbed by his bandmates when the late Bruce Forsyth announced he had won the show with Aliona Vilani in 2011.

Harry went on to put his new skills to good use by performing in a touring theatre show with some of his fellow Strictly male celebrities.

He also won a whole new legion of fans after showing off his impressive six pack and bulging biceps in his steamy routines, leading Harry to release fitness book Get Fit Get Happy to share his top tips.

The year after starring in the BBC dance show was also a big one for the musician’s personal life too as he tied the knot with his wife Brittany ‘Izzy’ Johnston who he now shares two children with.

Kara Tointon – 2010

The sizzling chemistry between actress Kara and her Russian dance partner Artem Chigvinstev kept viewers captivated for weeks during the 2010 series.

Their impressive dance skills and will they/ won’t they friendship was enthralling to watch and by the time they got to lift the Glitterball Trophy the dynamic duo were secretly a couple.

The pair dated for four years before splitting in 2014.

While she was in lucky in love with Artem, Kara’s career went from strength to strength as she landed the leading role of Eliza Doolittle in the West End production of Pygmalion, receiving rave reviews from critics, before landing a slew of other theatre and TV roles.

She is now engaged to Marius Jensen with who she is expecting her second child next year.

Chris Hollins – 2009

There was an upset in 2009 when Chris Hollins triumphed over Hollyoaks actor Ricky Whittle in the Strictly final.

Ricky had been the judges’ darling throughout the series after producing near faultless routines every week.

But it was BBC sports correspondent Chris and partner Ola Jordan who won the viewers vote – helped in part by their joyously toe-tapping Charleston.

After winning Strictly, Chris left his role as a sports pundit on BBC Breakfast behind to co-present Watchdog.

He has since followed this up with hosting slots on The One Show, Food Inspectors and Secret Britain.

Tom Chambers – 2008

Holby City actor Tom was a complete natural on the dancefloor in the very capable hands of Camilla Dallerup in 2008.

S Club 7 actress Rachel Stevens had been the bookies favourite that year, but Tom managed to win over viewers with his Foxtrot and Salsa before the all important vote.

Capitalising on his new popularity, Tom left Holby for BBC drama Waterloo Road but his biggest success came on the stage.

Tom landed the role of Jerry Travers in the UK production of Top Hat after honing his skills on Strictly.

The actor’s fancy footwork and bags of charisma making him the ideal fit for the Fred Astaire classic.

Alesha Dixon – 2007

Perhaps one of Strictly’s biggest ever success stories is that of Alesha Dixon.

The singer was reeling from the bitter demise of her marriage to MC Harvey and being dropped from her record label when she was invited to dance with professional Matthew Cutler on the show.

After impressing BBC bosses during her time on the competition, Alesha was invited to return to the show on the judging panel – replacing Arlene Phillips.

The move proved controversial amongst some viewers at the time who accused the BBC of ageism.

Alesha left after only three years but went on to land a judging role on Britain’s Got Talent over on ITV.

Strictly also helped reignite Alesha’s stalled musical career as her second album The Alesha Show – released months after the show – went platinum and spawned four hit singles.

Mark Ramprakash – 2006

Paired with Karen Hardy on the BBC One dance show, Mark looked a dead cert for the final after dazzling viewers with his week 9 Samba – which landed him a perfect score of 40.

He became the second consecutive cricketer to win the show, following former England team mate Darren Gough.

Unlike many of his dancing competitors, Mark turned his back on showbiz after his triumph opting instead to return to his sporting roots.

He was announced as batting coach with the England Lions in India before taking up the same role at Middlesex and later with England.

Darren Gough – 2005

Darren didn’t have the easiest start to Strictly Come Dancing after winding up near the bottom of the leader board several weeks in a row.

However, viewers kept their faith in the cricketer and partner Lilia Kopylova, with the pair surprising everyone by making it all the way to the final where they beat Colin Jackson and Zoe Ball to the trophy.

Two years later Darren returned for the Christmas Strictly Special and proved his enduring popularity as he went on to win again.

Following his success, the sportsman took part in the live tour in 2008 before hanging up his dancing shoes for good.

This year he was appointed an MBE in the 2020 Birthday Honours for his services to cricket and charity.

Jill Halfpenny – 2004

The EastEnders star made history as the first Strictly star to ever reach a perfect 40.

Jill’s infectious Jive to Sir Elton John’s I’m Still Standing is regarded one of the greatest dances to be performed by a celeb at the Elstree ballroom.

Riding a wave of success, Jill quit her role as Kate Mitchell in EastEnders after five years on the soap before it was announced she was taking on the prestigious role of Roxie Hart in the West End musical Chicago.

After treading the boards, Jill went on to play Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road and later Diane Mannin in In The Club.

Natasha Kaplinsky – 2004

Yes, that’s right… Strictly was such a triumph in its debut year that the BBC aired two series within 12 months.

Before Jill picked up the Glitterball Trophy in the autumn of 2004, Natasha did it first in the May-June series.

After her win with the bad boy of the ballroom Brendan Cole, Natasha went on to host the BBC’s Six O’Clock news.

In October 2007, she was recruited to help relaunch Channel 5 – earning herself the biggest fee ever paid to a UK newsreader in the process.

However, after just three years hosting Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky, the journalist moved over to ITV News.

In her personal life, Natasha married her partner Justin Bower a year after her Strictly win with whom she shares two children.