Ray Quinn wins 'Dancing On Ice'

Monday, 23 March 2009

Ray Quinn has been crowned champion of this year's 'Dancing On Ice'.

The singer - performing with professional partner Maria Filippov - narrowly beat undercover reporter Donal MacIntyre and skating partner Florentine Houdiniere with their recreation of coaches Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's famous 'Bolero' routine.

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Upon hearing he had won, proud Ray said: "I'm absolutely speechless. I've been dreaming of this moment since the beginning. I'm so proud."

Praising his "fantastic" final routine, judge Nicky Slater told Ray: "It is a love story and you captured that when you skated. You blow me away."

Earlier in the evening, Ray, 22 - who has been hailed by the show's judges as "the best contestant ever" - scored perfect marks for both his aerial sequence to Take That's 'Greatest Day' and an energetic routine to 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' by Starship, recreating the top marks he received for the routine in a previous week.

Jessica Taylor broke down in tears after learning she had not been voted through to the final, meaning she missed her chance to dance the 'Bolero'.

After hearing the public had failed to vote her and partner Pavel Aubrecht through, the singer - whose two earlier routines scored higher than Donal - said: "I had really wanted to do that for my mum on Mother's Day."

Before the final performances, all the former contestants apart from actress Gemma Bissix took part in a display, showcasing their favourite routines of the series.

Ex-'EastEnders' star Todd Carty won the biggest cheers from the crowd when he performed 'Help', the routine which saw him accidentally tumble off the ice into the backstage area when he first performed it.

Gemma said she was "gutted" to not be able to join the other stars on the ice after suffering a back injury.