Live Blog: 'Strictly' Grand Final

Natasha Kaplinsky, Jill Halfpenny, Darren Gough, Mark Ramprakash, Alesha Dixon, Tom Chambers - who will follow in these celebrities' footsteps and be named Strictly champion 2009? Will it be bookies' favourite Ricky Whittle, partnered with Natalie Lowe, or underdog Chris Hollins, teamed up with Ola Jordan? We will keep you updated with all the action on the dancefloor here at DS, so stick with us.

21:43: That's it. What do we do on Saturday nights now? There's a Christmas Day special to look forward to, but that's Strictly over for another year. I hope you all enjoyed the final as much as I did. Merry Christmas!

21:41: A shock win. Ola is in floods of tears. Chris applauds Natalie and Ricky and thanks all the professionals.

21:40: CHRIS AND OLA. The winners are Chris and Ola! Team Cola take the win.

21:39: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!

21:38: Natalie says that Ricky is her "soulmate for life". Hmm, interesting.

21:36: You know what we need - another montage sequence. Yup, here comes the 136th of the night. If you didn't know already, Chris loves Ola, Ola loves Chris, Natalie loves Ricky and Ricky loves Natalie. And there has been lots and lots of journeys!

21:35: PHONE LINES ARE CLOSED! Stop ringing. It is all over.

21:34: Is it possible for Joe Calzaghe to spend two seconds on camera without doing some shadow boxing? Jesus, give it a break man.

21:32: The difference in height between Lisa and Rachel is hilarious. Both seem very enthusiastic about being back again - I bet they are, it meant they got free tickets!

21:28: An extra special treat now. Lisa Snowdon and Rachel Stevens (2008 finalists) return for a full pro-dance routine.

21:24: A performance from Kristina Rihanoff and Brian Fortuna to music from Lady GaGa in the interlude.

21:23: Team Cola's overall Score: 186. Team Whittle's overall Score: 190. Who do you want to win?

21:21: Not a full house for Ricky & Natalie, though. Darcey gives a nine, which means they Score: 49 for their show dance. That increases their lead over Team Cola to four points.

21:19: What's better than a one-hand lift from Chris? A no-hands lift from Ricky. He spins around with Natalie balanced on his neck. Craig describes the routine as "lift-tastic" and says that his jaw was dropping. Len insists that Ricky is the best dancer.

21:14: Final dance of the night - Ricky and Natalie's show dance. Natalie is wearing what looks like a very skimpy purple swimsuit.

21:13: Chris admits in the backroom that he dropped Ola quite a few times in rehearsals with his one-handed lift! Despite that, they Score: 46 with four nines and one ten (Alesha). Good showing from Team Cola.

21:11: "Always come out full on enthusiasm. Well done," says Len. Alesha adds: "The song says 'Do you love me? We say yes!'" Bruno says that he can't believe Chris's strength and commends him for his performance.

21:09: A cheeky rock 'n' roll-esque show dance from Ola and Chris. Plenty of lifts, a bizarre handstand/scissor-kick move from Chris and a finale with the newsreader stood on the judges' desk. Amazing stuff.

21:05: Ooh! Craig and Len only give them nines. The rest give nines, which leaves them with a Score: 48. That means overall, Ricky and Natalie are beating Chris and Ola by just the one point! It is all down to the show dance.

21:04: Anther standing ovation. "One of the best dances I have seen on Strictly," says Alesha, who claims that Whittle is in a "league of his own". Bruno thinks he "nailed it". Darcey says that she would like to "cha cha cha with Ricky". And Craig loved it as well! Looks like another full-house from the judges.

21:02: It's a cha cha cha from Ricky and Natalie.

21:00: Ricky Whittle is giving his emotional VT now. He ain't half taking this seriously! Do we really believe his claims that he isn't romancing Natalie? He seems very, very fond of her.

20:58: Tens all round! Team Cola Score: 50 for their Charleston. That has really thrown this contest wide open. Bruno is hopping up and down like a jack-in-a-box waving his ten mark around like a lunatic.

20:56: Even Craig "loved it". Darcey claims that Team Cola are "perfectly in tune". Len says that it is "turning into the best final ever", describing Chris's performance as "fantastic".

20:55: That swimming finale will never grow tired. Some genius choreography from Ola.

20:51: Now back to business! Chris and Ola are first up after the break with their infamous Charleston. Probably the most entertaining dance of this series, so it's great to see it a second time.

20:50: Ooh, no Laila. Brucie says that she couldn't make it. No real explanation given - a bit strange.

20:45: More returning celebrities first up. Ricky Groves, Natalie, Laila and Ali!

20:43: Two more great dances to look forward to in the second half. A Latin (keep an eye out for Ola's outfit) and a show dance (keep an eye out for backflips and lifts galore).

20:42: Welcome back!

Click back at 8.40pm when the Strictly results show airs.

19:38: That's it for the first show. You've got an hour break now to bash the phone lines, eat your supper and start wrapping those Christmas pressies (it's never too early!).

19:36: Take note, Cheryl Cole: Alesha is singing live. Brucie is as well. A little dance (or maybe it would be better described as a shuffle) from the pair to boot.

19:34: Turn away now, Brucie-haters. It's time for his duet with Alesha.

19:32: It is such a shame that Jade was forced out of the show. She really would have been a contender. A Jade, Ricky, Chris/Ali final would have been the perfect finish.

19:30: Jade and Ian are back. We are now finally going to see their tango. Fabulous stuff!

19:26: Time for another recap and some performances from Jo Wood, Craig Kelly and Zöe Lucker. Tuffers can't make it due to the flu.

19:23: I know this is the final and we should probably just enjoy it, but I must point out that I really don't see the point in Darcey being on the panel. She's deathly dull and there is no real reason for her to be there. Considering all the fuss about Alesha's appointment, I think this one was stranger. She isn't a natural on camera. Anyway, rant over.

19:22: Time to make your decision - think carefully. VOTING LINES ARE OPEN!

19:17: Two eights (Craig, Darcey) and three nines (Len, Bruno, Alesha) for Ricky & Natalie. A solid Score: 43. But what's this? One eight (Craig) and four nines (Darcey, Len, Bruno, Alesha) for Chris & Ola. They actually edged that head-to-head with a Score: 44.

19:13: What a routine! Ricky ends up with Natalie and Ola on his back for the finale. What a lucky chap. Len says that "Chris held his own". I'd have to agree with that. Team Cola didn't look out of their depth next to the obvious talents of Whittle and Lowe. Bruno describes Chris as a "frantic monkey" and says he looked like "something out of The Jungle Book". That is apparently a compliment.

19:10: Next up is a new challenge for the 2009 final. A head-to-head Lindy Hop routine. This should sort the men from the boys.

19:06: We're now getting to see all the early exiters performing for one last time. Richard Dunwoody's hips are still clunky, Lynda Bellingham is still incredibly stiff, but it looks like Rav has been practising! Sadly, we also have to watch Team Calzaghanoff reunited. I'm surprised the Beeb invited the boring boxer back after his negative comments in the Daily Mail about the show.

19:01: We are now getting a video recap of the whole series. I still can't believe that Martin Hingis left in week one - I think she could have been a potential winner.

18:59: Chris is not lagging too far behind. Four nines and one ten (Alesha) leaves Team Cola with a Score: 46.

18:56 Chris gets a kiss on the lips from Ola-chops. She's obviously pleased with his performance. Bruno congratulates Ola for turning Chris into a dancer. Craig says it lacked "swing and sway", but adds it was a much-improved foxtrot. Darcey says something rather boring, which I can't even be bothered to type. Len describes Chris as "Prince Charming" and "top-notch".

18:53: Another emotional VT, this time from Ola-chops. If the popularity of the professional has any effect on voting then I think Chris will benefit more than Ricky.

18:51: Beat that, Chris Hollins! A full house from the judges. Ricky and Natalie Score: 50. Let's see what Team Cola can do with their foxtrot.

18:47: "Wow-wee Mr Whittle," says Darcey in her most super-posh accent. Len claims that it was the best quickstep from any series. Alesha says that it was "one of the greatest dancers in Strictly history". Bruno is jumping up and down in his chair with glee. And Craig? "It blew me away - it was spec-tac-u-lar!"

18:46: A cracking opening quickstep from Mr Whittle. Made full use of the floor/stage and pretty much everywhere else. A thrilling start to the show.

18:44: Would be an impressive performance from Miss Lowe if she wins the show in her first year. She's getting a bit emotional in the VT footage. But no tears... yet.

18:41: First dance of the night comes from Ricky & Natalie. Brucie cracks a gag about Whittle wearing a pink thong for the final, with the punchline - as usual - revolving around Bruno.

18:39: It is being billed as The Hunk vs The Hobbit. The bookies are backing Whittle and Lowe. But Team Cola have never been in the dance-off, so they clearly have plenty of support. It could actually all come down to tonight's performances.

18:37: I must apologise for my lack of blogging last weekend. I was watching some show on the other channel called The X Factor. I didn't rate it.

18:35: Ta-dah! We are finally here. It started four months ago (and it feels like four years!) and we're down from 16 dancers to two. Ricky Whittle and Chris Hollins - who are you backing?