Strictly Come Dancing winner Stacey Dooley ‘on cloud nine’

Strictly Come Dancing winner Stacey Dooley has said she is “on cloud nine” after lifting the glitterball trophy.

The BBC documentary maker said she planned to celebrate by going to McDonald’s then dancing all night.

Dooley, 31, and her professional partner Kevin Clifton came out top of a public vote in tonight’s final after three months of competition.

Speaking after being named winner, she said: “I feel like I’m on cloud nine. Being bottom of the leaderboard just goes to show that people at home are enjoying what we are trying to do.

“It’s daunting, it’s daunting doing something that you are not brilliant at in front of millions of people. But you can’t sit back and say no to opportunity. You have to throw yourself in.”

Asked how she planned to celebrate, Dooley replied: “Go to McDonald’s. I’m starving. I’ll go back to the green room and dance until the sun comes up. Two chicken nugget meals and barbecue sauce.”

Dooley, who is from Luton, also revealed that she is going to leave her trophy “in the window so everyone can see it and I can show it off.”

The presenter said she had been certain YouTube star Joe Sugg would triumph in the finale. While Dooley and Sugg scored lower than fellow finalists Ashley Roberts and Faye Tozer, the pair were widely tipped as viewer favourites.

She said: “I was certain it was going to be Joe. So when they started saying St- I was like, ‘I think it’s us’. I looked at Joe and remember giving him a cuddle then thinking: ‘Where’s Kev?’”

Dooley’s win marked the first time Clifton had been paired with a winning celebrity, despite reaching the final five times previously.

The professional dancer from Grimsby said he had “lost control” the moment he had heard his and Dooley’s names announced.

He said: “I just completely lost control. I kept saying to Stacey: ‘Oh I won’t be crying on TV. You won’t catch me doing that.’ And then I completely fell apart. Sorry Stace.”

Clifton said he didn’t feel like “the bridesmaid” anymore, adding that performing with Dooley had made him fall in love with dancing all over again.

He said: “Not the bridesmaid anymore. I can’t believe it. I’m so happy for Stacey. She has worked so hard. We’ve been doing eight in the morning until 10pm every day. We’ve been doing 14-hour days but she’s been so lovely, as I was saying out there as well. She’s been so lovely to work with.

“I know I’ve said this a couple of times over the last few days. This year I’ve really fallen in love with dancing all over again. I’ve fallen in love with Strictly all over again. I’ve enjoyed this series so, so much, and it’s all down to Stacey. I’m so grateful that we were partnered together.”