As a Christmas Eve present to you, in this week’s blog (our final for this year) we look back at the ten professional dancers have who achieved the highest average score from routines performed in Christmas Specials.

Note: only professionals who have appeared in at least three Christmas episodes were eligible for inclusion in this countdown, and where average scores were tied, Christmas Special wins were taken into account.

10th – Neil Jones

• Routines: 4
• Wins: 0
• Average score: 36.25

Dancing with Tillie Amartae, Neil will be performing in his fifth Christmas routine this year, putting him one behind the record which is jointly held by Anton, Erin & Ian.

To date, he has received seven tens, including three for this Jive performed with Rosie Ramsay in 2022.

9th – Dianne Buswell

• Routines: 3
• Wins: 0
• Average score: 36.33

Dianne has yet to receive a perfect score in seven years of performing on the main Series; but did earn a 40 for this Couple’s Choice routine with Joe Sugg in 2019.

8th – Aliona Vilani

• Routines: 3
• Wins: 1
• Average score: 36.67

Aliona is one of seven professionals who went on to pick up the Glitterball one year after winning the Christmas Special. Here is her victorious 40-scoring Quickstep routine from 2014, performed with Louis Smith.

=6th – Lilia Kopylova

• Routines: 4
• Wins: 2
• Average score: 36.75

Lilia is one of three professionals who have two victories at Christmas. Both of these came with cricketer Darren Gough, with whom she also won the main Series in 2005.

Unfortunately, neither of her festive routines with Darren (both receiving forty) are available on YouTube, however here is Lilia performing the Samba with Aled Jones in the very first Christmas Special from 2004.

=6th – Darren Bennett

• Routines: 4
• Wins: 2
• Average score: 36.75

Lilia’s husband Darren ends up tied with her in this countdown, both in terms of the average score, and the number of trophies won! Darren’s two victories came with actress Jill Halfpenny, with whom he also won the main Series in 2004.

Here is their American Smooth from 2008, which received a score of 39.

5th – Janette Manrara

• Routines: 4
• Wins: 2
• Average score: 37.00

Janette is the only professional who has won at Christmas with two different celebrities. After first winning with Melvin Odoom in 2016, she matched this success with a perfect Jive performed with Aston Merrygold two years later.

4th – Camilla Dallerup

• Routines: 3
• Wins: 0
• Average score: 38.00

All three of Camilla’s dances were Ballroom routines (two Foxtrots and one Waltz), and each of them received at least one ten. Here is the 37-scoring Foxtrot she performed with Series 6 winner, Tom Chambers.

3rd – Gorka Marquez

• Routines: 3
• Wins: 0
• Average score: 38.33

Gorka is one of three professionals to receive a perfect score twice at Christmas. However, whereas Lilia and Janette picked up the trophy on both occasions that they earned a 40, Gorka has yet to claim his first victory. Will his luck change when dancing with Keisha Buchanan this year?

Here is his perfect ‘Frozen’ inspired American Smooth, performed with Frankie Bridge in 2016.

2nd – Flavia Cacace

• Routines: 3
• Wins: 1
• Average score: 38.33

Flavia is one of only eight professionals to have won both the main Series, and a Christmas Special (alongside Aliona, Brendan, Darren, Joanne, Kevin, Lilia and Ola). After winning the main Series with Louis Smith in 2012, she returned and won at Christmas a year later with a 38-scoring Tango partnered by Rufus Hound.

1st – Pasha Kovalev

• Routines: 4
• Wins: 0
• Average score: 38.50

Congratulations go to Pasha for earning the highest average score out of the 19 professionals who have performed at least three routines. With a total of ten, Pasha also has received more ‘festive’ tens than any other pro, although surprisingly he never received a perfect score.

Pasha was also never crowned Christmas Champion, despite topping the leaderboard on two occasions; once with Kimberley Walsh in 2017, and four years earlier with this 39-scoring Cha Cha Cha, when partnered by Elaine Paige.

Honourable Mentions

• Brendan Cole –  36.20 (5 routines, 1 win)
• Ian Waite – 36.17 (6 routines)
• Vincent Simone – 35.80 (5 routines, 1 win)
• Matthew Cutler – 35.00 (3 routines)
• Erin Boag – 34.83 (6 routines, 1 win)
• Luba Mushtuk – 34.75 (4 routines)
• Karen Hauer – 32.00 (3 routines)
• Robin Windsor – 32.00 (3 routines)
• Anton du Beke – 30.33 (6 routines)