The best Strictly ever, no contest: CLAUDIA CONNELL gives her view from the sofa

By Claudia Connell

Last updated at 12:11 AM on 19th December 2011

Fourteen weeks ago, Strictly promised the best series ever. Nobody took much notice at the time because, let’s be honest, they say that every year.

This time, though, it was actually true and Strictly Come Dancing 2011 was, hands down, the best in the show’s nine-year history.

So you can forgive the BBC for throwing what must have been the entire year’s light entertainment budget at Saturday’s grand final in Blackpool.

Winners: Harry Judd and dance partner Aliona Vilani contributed to the best Strictly yet

The spectacular opening sequence had a gladiators theme with the three finalists entering the arena in chariots.

I’m not sure the film Gladiator would have taken £300million at the box office if Russell Crowe had settled his scores with a samba rather than a sword. And Anton Du Beke didn’t make a terribly convincing Roman swordsman – more Minimus than Maximus – but it was camp drama all the same, and set the tone brilliantly.

Proceedings kicked off with the celebrities dancing the judge’s favourites from the series. Harry Judd was up first with his quickstep which earned him the perfect score of 40 and much leering over by Bruno Tonioli, who flirted shamelessly with the young pop star – despite his girlfriend sitting in the front row.

Much has been made this series of Tess Daly’s questionable fashion sense.

Top marks: Chelsee Healey was a worthy runner-up in this year's dance-fest

Every week she lures me into a false sense of security when, at the beginning of the show, shot from the waist up her outfit looks rather fetching and stylish. Only when the camera pans down to reveal the number in full length is the horrible truth realised.

And so it was on Saturday night. I ohhed and ahhed at her strapless silver sequin frock – then grimaced in horror as what looked like nicotine-stained net curtains attached to the hem came into view.

For the second instalment she changed into a black-and-white lace number which looked stunning – until the camera pulled back to reveal a bottom half that could have been designed by Edward Scissorhands.

Jason Donovan followed Harry, with the judges selecting his I Will Survive tango as their favourite dance of the series. Always the contestant who’s taken the show the most seriously, Jason looked worryingly wide-eyed, manic and in danger of spontaneously combusting. Thank heavens he seemed to calm down after the first dance.

Sadly, nerves appeared to have got the better of him and, unlike Harry, he probably danced the routine better the first time around. Even I noticed that his bottom was sticking out like a baboon so it was no surprise he lost marks.

Chelsee Healey’s first dance was her amazing Shrek-themed Jive which was as frenzied, fun and bouncy as ever – I only hope it wasn’t too traumatising for 3D viewers. Next came the show dances which, just like the swingathon, often fail to live up to the hype. Harry’s rock ’n’ roll routine featured more lifts than Tom Cruise’s shoes with poor Aliona spending more time in the air than on the ground.

The consensus in my living room – as well as on internet forums – is that Chelsee’s show dance was daring but very messy looking.

With so many adventurous lifts thrown in, it was just as well she’s incapable of falling flat on her face.

Attention: Nancy Dell'Olio arrived for the after-show party in a dramatic red PVC dress and said guests, 'acted as if she were the real winner'

In the end it was Jason who delivered the best show dance of the evening.

It was predictable, but still rather a shame, that he was the first to be voted off, leaving just Chelsee and Harry in the running for glitterball glory.

For a moment it felt like watching some modern-day version of Pygmalion – Harry with his cut-glass public schoolboy accent alongside little Chelsee with an accent so broad that a few subtitles wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Chelsee gave us a beautifully sensuous rumba before repeating her air-hostess quickstep routine but didn’t manage to clock up a 40 for either of them despite ‘giving it all what I’ve got to give’.

Harry gave us a seriously smooth American smooth followed by the Argentine tango, about which Craig Revel Horwood had previously said: ‘It was filth and I loved it.’

Steamy and seductive as ever, it earned Harry a mark of 40 and possibly a couple of phone numbers from a drooling Bruno and Craig.

Earlier in the evening former contenders performed. Nancy Dell’Olio, true to form, flashed her knickers and clomped around like a lame carthorse one more time.

Robbie gave us a couple of crotch thrusts while Edwina and Russell, who looked like they’d been entering the same pie-eating contests in recent weeks, huffed and puffed their way through the routine.

When Harry was named the winner it wasn’t much of a surprise as he outperformed Chelsee in all four dances. She may have lost the trophy but, over the past three months, she won millions of hearts and I can’t imagine she’ll be too disappointed.

So, it’s all over for another year. As the sequins are put away and the lid goes back on the fake tan, 11million of us will be left idly twiddling our thumbs every Saturday night between now and next September.

Questionable: Tess Daly, pictured right with winners Harry and Aliona centre, and co-host Bruce Forsyth left, was the subject of much discussion with regards to her fashion choices