Former England rugby star Kyran Bracken built on last weekend's Dancing on Ice victory by becoming Champion of Champions on Saturday night. He and partner Melanie Lambert were, as they had been all series, head and shoulders above their competition. They defeated actress Clare Buckfield and Andrei in the Skate Off, courtesy of public votes rather than the usual judges' vote. Earlier they skated against last year's top three, champion Gaynor Faye, Stefan Booth and Bonnie Langford, plus last week's finalist Duncan James and Clare. But the public voted Kyran and Clare into the Skate Off, a decision which wasn't entirely welcomed by the judging panel, who thought that, despite a stumble, Bonnie's performance was worth another opportunity. Instead, Clare and Andrei skated to Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes' 'Up Where We Belong', complete with naval uniform, while Kyran and Melanie danced to Elton John and Kiki Dee's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'. But the latter were undeniably the stronger couple, with Kyran's superior skating skills and strength as obvious as they had been all series. He and Melanie will be a tough act to beat next year!
