The final of Strictly Come Dancing 2023 was watched by an average of 8.8 million viewers, according to overnight ratings.

On Saturday evening, Ellie Leach and her professional dance partner Vito Coppola were handed the glitterball trophy after beating Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin and Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell.

Average ratings have fallen since last year, when the show’s final drew in 9.2 million viewers.

Strictly Come Dancing 2023
Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

The peak viewings were the same, however, with the 2022 and 2023 final both drawing in a ratings peak of 9.7 million views.

In 2021, the series final peaked with 12.3 million and saw Rose Ayling-Ellis make history as the first deaf person to win, alongside her dance partner Giovanni Pernice.

Soap star Leach, 22, became Strictly’s youngest winner when the 2023 results were announced on Saturday evening.

She said: ““Words cannot describe how I am feeling right now and I cannot believe we have just won Strictly Come Dancing 2023.

“It’s been a life-changing opportunity and I’ve had the time of my life dancing with Vito every week.

“It has been so special and to be able to do it with such a great teacher has made it an experience I will never forget.

“Thank you so much for that, Vito, and thank you for finding the dancer in me. We couldn’t have won without the voting public, so a huge thank you to everyone at home who picked up the phone for us, we appreciate every single one of you!

“Finally, a big congratulations to all the finalists and all the 2023 cast, who are incredible and came alongside this journey with me.”

The couple’s performed three dances on Saturday and Leach and Coppola’s first performance was their dramatic paso doble to Insomnia by 2WEI, chosen for them by the judges.

Head judge Shirley Ballas told Leach: “You, my dear, are the only lady standing and let me tell you, you came down those stairs, you worked that dress, the whole ensemble… was spot on.

“I have to say, that was a woman in control.”

For their show dance, the couple performed a Jennifer Lopez megamix and Leach was praised for taking a “risk” with a lift she was unable to execute.

Revel Horwood told Leach: “It’s a terrible shame with the last lift because really that whole dance routine was just flawless up until that moment.”

Their third and final dance, which they had chosen from their back catalogue of performances, was the American smooth to the song Ain’t That A Kick In The Head in the style of Robbie Williams.

After the dance, Du Beke said he was “getting emotional” before telling the soap star he was proud of her.