"The winners of Strictly Come Dancing 2018 are..."
With everyone on tenterhooks, the whole room was silent; save for the drumbeat building up to the big reveal. After three months of blood, sweat and tears (and a lot of drama!), it all came down to this.
The last week had flown by like a whirlwind. The final four Strictly couples had been up to their eyeballs in routines: Judge's Choice, Show Dance, Couple's Favourite, and the group dance. It was a lot for them to get their heads around. So, Joe hadn't been surprised not to hear much from Zoe or Dianne for almost a week. As per the semi-finals, Alfie and Johannes had been Joe's go-to guys for finding out how the girls were doing. Perhaps Joe was naïve, but he hadn't thought that the situation could have been any more stressful than it had been the week before... boy, had he been wrong!
The night before the Final, Joe had shown up at Elstree to see the two most important women in his life. He and Zoe had only managed to have a brief chat before she and Neil were ushered off to film their segment on It Takes Two, leaving Joe to find Dianne on his own. As he spotted his girlfriend trudging out of hair and makeup, he offered her a bouquet of flowers as an extra surprise. The redhead had practically crumbled into his arms, overwhelmed by emotion and exhaustion; and ruining her freshly applied mascara! Joe would have been more alarmed by her reaction had he not witnessed the rest of the finalists in similar states! After so many weeks of hard work (not to mention, everything that they had been through outside of dancing), it was hardly a surprise that they wouldn't be in the cheeriest of spirits! In the midst of the tears, Dianne had seemed happy to see Joe, and the young man had treated her after leaving the studio to her favourite takeaway, followed by a bubble bath and a massage. The dancer had made a mental note to repay him as soon as she could; as soon as he became her top priority.
At least the speculation about Zoe and Neil seemed to have faded away, giving them one less thing to worry about in the final week. And it also meant that Joe and Dianne's agreement to 'slow things down' was easier to achieve, since she in particular had been too busy to concentrate on her relationship. But Joe hoped that she didn't feel guilty about it; he totally understood that Strictly was her main focus, if only for a few more days. Speaking of which, the Grand Final had been spectacular. With only a few marks between the couples, it was a nail-biting night. If he hadn't had personal connections to any of them, Joe wouldn't have been able to pick a favourite; every dance from every couple had been fantastic, and they were all equally deserving of the glitterball. However, there could only be one winner...
"Zoe and Neil!"
The whole room erupted into cheering and applause as the winning pair almost collapsed in shock. Joe was practically jumping for joy, and Alfie's face shone with pride at his girlfriend's triumphant victory. Standing beside the winners, Lee and Dianne beamed and applauded excitedly as Neil picked Zoe up and spun her around. The redhead had been prepared to be a runner-up anyway, despite her and Lee having had the best response from the judges and audience than they'd ever had before. She would have been beyond happy for whoever had won, but the fact that it was Zoe made it even better. Her friend had consistently improved over the series thanks to her and Neil's hard work, and they both deserved it after everything they had been through over the last few months. The rest of the finalists crowded around the winners as they struggled to comprehend what was going on, which wasn't helped by Tess and Claudia insisting that the pair give speeches on the spot!
"Um, okay... where do I even start?!" Zoe exclaimed breathlessly, "I guess first of all, thank you to everyone who's voted and supported us week in and week out; we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you to my friends and family, who have been so encouraging and understanding through all of this... even though I haven't always been easy to encourage or understand! Thank you to everyone involved in the show: from the pros and celebs, to the band and the runners; you've been so wonderful, and the show wouldn't be the same without each and every one of you," she paused to take a shaky breath before turning to her partner with glistening eyes, "But most of all, thank you to Neil. It's not been the easiest few months, but you have been consistently amazing: you are a talented dancer, a brilliant teacher, and an awesome friend; and you deserve this trophy more than anyone else on the planet!" she finished tearfully.
Neil was equally as tearful as he took her hands in his own, "Well, thank you for everything," he began, "I'd been wanting a partner on the show for ages, and it was totally worth the wait; I struck absolute gold with you! You are one of the hardest-working people I know, and an utter joy to teach and dance with every day. I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words how grateful I am to have had you in my life these last few months; the highs more than made up for the lows. And I know that it's not the end, because I've made a 'friend for de life' with you!" he finished theatrically, evoking weepy giggles from the young woman clutching his hands; and from everyone else in the room!
Dianne and Lee barely had time to collect themselves before Tess started asking them whether they would miss each other. There was a pause as the pair exchanged a thoughtful look.
"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you a lot", Lee admitted.
Dianne smiled in agreement, "I'm gonna miss you more!" she added before pulling him into a hug. Despite the tension, they really had developed a close connection over the last few months, and were rather fond of the other; but they certainly wouldn't miss the drama they'd had to deal with!
Once Zoe and Neil had lifted the glitterball over their heads (and been lifted themselves by everyone else!), it wasn't long before the show came to an end. After that, it pretty much turned into a free-for-all, as the audience made their way onto the dancefloor to join the rest of the cast! Alfie was the first to reach Zoe, and he pulled her into a passionate kiss; neither of them caring who was watching.
The same couldn't be said for Joe and Dianne, however. Not only did they struggle to find each other in the midst of the bustling crowd; but once they did, the pair weren't sure what to do. Yes, their relationship didn't have to be hidden anymore, yet it still felt too soon to make it official; the cameras had only just stopped filming, after all! Instead, they just smiled at each other awkwardly until Dianne found herself being swept into a hug by someone who Joe could only describe as a 'blur'! His euphoria over Zoe's win was quickly dissipating as he was brought back down to earth. Joe and Dianne had waited so long for this moment, but they weren't actually sure how they were supposed to navigate it now that it had actually arrived.
---
Joe and Dianne weren't the only people struggling with the aftermath of the competition: Lee was also feeling overwhelmed. After being in the dance-off for the first two weeks (and a couple of times later on), the singer hadn't expected to make it all the way to the Final. Which just made his behaviour towards Dianne during the competition even worse: she was one of the few people who had believed in him from the start, and it was down to her teaching that he had managed to get all the way to the end. Yes, she could have conducted herself a bit more professionally when it came to Joe, but that didn't mean that Lee had to stoop even lower in return. As though Dianne was psychic, Lee came face-to-face with his partner as they found themselves moving away from the crowded dancefloor.
"Hey," Dianne greeted, "How are you feeling?"
Lee let out a breath, "I have no idea," he replied with a shrug, "I'll let you know once this has all sunk in, though that might be at three o'clock in the morning; so, sorry in advance!"
Dianne chuckled, "I think we're in the same boat there!"
Lee grinned, then glanced back at the crowd as he held the door open for Dianne, "Have you seen Joe?"
"Briefly, yeah", Dianne replied awkwardly as she stepped past Lee into the corridor.
"But...?" Lee prompted.
Dianne shook her head, "It's pretty busy out there," she replied dismissively, "Anyway, it doesn't matter: this is about us".
"For the final time", Lee smirked.
Dianne pouted, "I wish it wasn't," she whined before opening her arms to him, "One last hug?"
"Of course!" Lee agreed eagerly before wrapping his arms around her, "Thank you, for everything", he murmured.
"And thank you," Dianne echoed, giving him an emphatic squeeze, "You've been a better partner than I deserved".
Lee thought back over the last few months; inwardly cringing at both of their behaviours, "Right back at you," he breathed shakily, "And even though it was kinda set up, I meant what I said back there: I'm gonna miss you a lot".
"Right back at you", the redhead repeated as they pulled away from each other.
Both Lee and Dianne had tears in their eyes, which they attempted to wipe away surreptitiously, "But we'll keep in touch, won't we?" she questioned tentatively.
"I hope so," Lee replied sincerely before jokily adding, "At the very least, you've gotta keep me updated on the tour goss!"
Dianne giggled, "Yeah, of course!"
"And it'll be good to hear how things are going with Joe," Lee added cautiously, "Long-distance relationships can be tough, but I'm sure you guys will make it".
Dianne smiled weakly, "Thanks", she whispered, hoping that he was right. It meant a lot that Lee was so supportive of their relationship, considering how difficult things got between them during the show.
"So, am I gonna see you at the afterparty?" Lee asked brightly.
Dianne hesitated, "Probably," she replied, "I just need to change into something more appropriate!"
"Yeah, same!" Lee chuckled, but he could tell that she was uncertain. After watching the redhead wander to the changing room, Lee turned back on himself and returned to the studio in the hope of finding the person that he knew she needed.
---
"I think you should go to her".
Lee's words rang in Joe's ears as he rushed to the changing room. The fact that the singer had reached out to him at all – given their history – suggested that it was serious, but the solemn look on his face and severity of the words alarmed Joe. He knew that he shouldn't have left their earlier awkward moment unresolved, but the young man just hadn't known what he was supposed to do. But he did now.
It didn't take long for Joe to find the changing room of the female professional dancers, but he felt uncomfortable about going in there. So, in typical Joe Sugg fashion, the young man knocked politely on the door and glanced around in the hope that nobody would see him in what appeared to be quite a compromising situation! It took a few moments, but the door slowly opened to reveal the redhead in question.
"Hey," Dianne greeted uncertainly, "What are you doing here?"
Joe pointed to the sign on the door, "Didn't you know that I'm a female pro dancer?" he joked.
Dianne giggled, "Oh yeah, Josephine!"
Joe chuckled, then looked more serious, "Your partner sent me," he admitted, "He said that you were upset, and suggested that I come and see you".
"He's not my partner anymore, is he?" Dianne murmured.
Joe studied her carefully, "Is that why you're upset?" he asked softly.
Dianne shrugged, "Partly".
"Do you want to talk about it?" Joe asked, "Or do you want me to just stand here looking like a pervert?"
Dianne sniggered, "Tempting, but no..." she replied before opening the door wider, "Come in, pervert".
Joe rolled his eyes, then followed her into the room; taking in the simple décor and organised mess, "Let me guess, that's your space?"
Dianne followed where he was pointing to a cluttered corner, "How can you tell?"
"Because it's the messiest part of the room!" Joe pointed out.
"You know me too well!" Dianne sighed, "But in my defence, I was looking for something here just before you showed up".
"And did you find it among all this?" Joe asked doubtfully.
Dianne nodded coyly and held up a packet of tissues, "Trust me to lose them today of all days".
Joe frowned as he realised how upset she really was, "Come here," he murmured as he reached out to pull her into a hug, "I'm sorry".
"It's not your fault," Dianne assured him, "It's just been a long day at the end of a long series, and now it's all over; and I'm not sure what to do".
"You can do anything you want", Joe replied softly.
Dianne smiled sadly, "I want to tell the world about us," she admitted, then sat down on the sofa beside her belongings, "But it feels a bit tactless after everything that's happened".
Joe nodded in understanding as he joined her, "Are you still feeling guilty as well?"
"Yeah, but I know there's no point anymore," Dianne pointed out, "It's done, it's finished".
"But we're not", Joe countered.
Dianne smiled slightly, then sighed, "I hate that we've dragged so many people into this, and made it way more complicated than it needed to be..." she lamented, "But I don't regret this: you, us".
Joe shook his head, "Me neither".
"And now we can just... be together," Dianne realised, "No more hiding, no more secrets, no more hurt".
"Just us," Joe nodded, "And I can finally tell people that my 'dilemma' is over: that I'm with the woman I love!"
Dianne blinked at him in surprise, "What did you just say?"
"'The woman I love'," Joe repeated with a smile, "I love you".
Dianne's eyes shone at his words, "You do?"
"Yeah..." Joe replied slowly, then cringed, "Oh God, you don't feel the same anymore, do you?"
Dianne's face broke out into a smile, and she stroked his cheek, "Of course I do!"
"Oh, good!" Joe breathed in relief, "Because I am completely in love with you; and I've been kicking myself that I couldn't say it before," he admitted gently before jokily adding, "So, it would have been pretty awkward if your feelings had changed!"
Dianne giggled and practically tackled him into a hug, "Of course they haven't! And I don't care that you couldn't say it before," she assured him before pulling back to look him in the eyes, "Because I am completely in love with you, too".
Joe beamed, and they met in the middle for a passionate kiss. Although Dianne was still upset about the show coming to an end, it was outweighed by the delight she felt after Joe's confession. His actions had always spoken louder than his words, but after their earlier awkward moment (and not to mention, all of the tension before that), it was a relief to know that they were now on the same page.
---
Zoe's eyes widened as she spotted Joe and Dianne together at the afterparty, "Wow, look at that!" she exclaimed, "You're holding hands in public, and the universe hasn't imploded!"
The pair scoffed, "Very funny", Dianne retorted.
"Besides, we weren't worried about this: most people here already knew," Joe pointed out before lifting their joined hands to kiss the redhead's knuckles, "It's everyone else".
"Yeah, I know," Zoe nodded, "And I'm happy for you guys".
Dianne smiled, "Thanks, Zo," she replied before pulling her into a hug, "And congratulations again, you've had such an amazing journey; you guys so deserved the win!"
"Thanks," Zoe breathed, "And you guys were awesome as well; everyone was!"
"Well, I can't argue with that!" Dianne chuckled as they pulled away.
The younger woman let out a breath, "It's been so intense, but totally worth it".
Dianne exchanged a knowing grin with Joe, "Definitely".
"So, how are you guys gonna break the news to your followers?" Zoe asked excitedly, "They'll be keen to know".
Joe shrugged, "Yeah, maybe an Instagram post or something," he suggested before wrapping an arm around his girlfriend, "Like, 'Zoe may have won the glitterball, but I've won something a million times more special'?"
Dianne smiled up at him before planting a firm kiss on his cheek, "That's cute," she hummed, "But please don't steal your sister's thunder!"
"It's what I do!" Joe remarked playfully, "If I didn't, we never would have had that launch show party, and none of this would have happened".
Dianne was taken aback, "And there was me thinking that this was fate," she mused, "But no, you were just trying to take the attention away from Zoe!"
"Well, it was a bit of both," Joe conceded, "But yeah, I guess there was a case of 'middle child syndrome'".
"But you're not the middle child", Zoe pointed out.
"I am if you count the dog", Joe retorted.
Dianne laughed, "Yeah, you have to count the dog," she agreed, then pouted, "Oh, I'd love to have a fur-baby".
Joe glanced at her coyly, "Well, maybe you could meet him sometime," he suggested, "I haven't really visited either of my parents for a while, we could take a trip to see them; it might be a chance to introduce you properly".
Dianne smiled, "I'd love that," she replied warmly, "And I would return the favour, but it might be a bit late for you to come back to Oz with me for Christmas!"
"Just a bit!" Joe agreed, "But I'd love to go back to Australia someday, and meet the whole gang".
"Me too", Dianne beamed before reaching up to kiss him sweetly.
Zoe watched this interaction with a smile, "You guys..." she cooed before frowning jokily, "Might just bring my dinner back up!"
Joe prodded her, "Are you at least gonna celebrate your win before it comes back up?"
"I don't know," Zoe muttered, "It's tempting, but so is sleep!"
"And you haven't really done much of that in the last three months," Dianne pointed out, "I feel ya".
Zoe sighed, "Finally, someone who understands!"
"Hell yeah!" Dianne scoffed, "I'm in the same boat, sister!"
Joe frowned, "Oh, do you want to go home then?" he asked his girlfriend hesitantly, secretly hoping to have a quiet night in with her.
Dianne looked up at him thoughtfully, then smiled, "Not until we've had a proper dance!"
Joe rolled his eyes, but he didn'targue as she grabbed his hands to tug him over to the dancefloor. In fact, hewillingly followed her. Not only was Joe feeling on top of the world after anintense few months, but he had actually grown to enjoy dancing; especially whenhis girlfriend was involved! It was the first time that the pair had danced togetherin public since Joe's birthday party where they had first met, and they couldn'tbelieve how much had changed in three months. And although things were bound tochange even more, Joe and Dianne were prepared to fight for their future. Or,in this case, 'dance' for it!