Rowland Rivron crowned 'Let's Dance' champion

Rowland Rivron crowned 'Let's Dance' champion
Rowland Rivron crowned 'Let's Dance' champion

Comedian Rowland Rivron has won the 2012 series of Let's Dance for Sport Relief, after fighting off competition from seven other celebrity dance acts in Saturday's final. The 54-year-old funnyman triumphed with his recreation of the routine from Fatboy Slim's Weapon Of Choice video, which saw him dancing through a hotel lobby and performing some elaborate moves using chairs and other furniture. EastEnders stars Tameka Empson and Laurie Brett - who performed to the Lady Gaga/Beyonce hit Telephone, were among the runners-up, along with actors Tyger Drew-Honey and Dani Harmer, who had recreated a routine from the film Bugsy Malone. Others who took part in the final included comedian Omid Djalili, comic actor Miles Jupp, athlete Fatima Whitbread, funnyman Terry Alderton and skiier Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards. Afterwards Rivron admitted he had not expected to win, and added, "I'd like to thank Andrea my physio, Richard who taught me everything and Dave, who showed me everything." Earlier in the show he had won rave reviews from the celebrity judging panel, with Frank Skinner calling the routine "one of the best dances I have ever seen on this show". Choreographer Arlene Phillips added, "You are my weapon of choice, you have style dripping off you like molten lava." And Rhod Gilbert - making reference to the original version featuring Christopher Walken - said, "That was potentially a disaster - it's a brave bold choice because you're on your own for most of it. But you made Christopher Walken look like Bungle." Saturday's show also featured performances from Katy Perry and JLS, who sang the official Sport Relief single Proud.

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Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.