Sam Attwater wins 'Dancing On Ice' 2011

[dutchman]

Sam Attwater has been crowned the winner of Dancing On Ice 2011.



The Eastenders actor garnered the most viewer votes after topping off his self-created Footloose showcase and a reprise of his 'Riverdance' routine from 'World Tour' week with an accomplished take on Torvill and Dean's legendary bolero.

Attwater, who sat atop the judges' leaderboard tonight after his initial two routines, beamed as the result was announced and enthusiastically embraced his professional partner and former lover Brianne Delcourt.

The 24-year-old then hoisted Delcourt onto his shoulders as she proudly brandished their hard-fought Dancing On Ice trophy.

When earlier asked by hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby to sum up his experience, Attwater gushed: "It feels amazing and I don't want to do what everyone does but I have to say thank you to everyone… there's so many people here and I've had the time of my life and it's all down to them."

On Delcourt, he added: "I've made a friend for life, and I wouldn't be here now at this point and at the standard I am if it wasn't for Brianne."

Runner-up Laura Hamilton, who scored the series's first and only perfect 30 from judges earlier tonight, graciously accepted her defeat and acknowledged that she could have been eliminated in the first week after finishing in the skate-off after the debut viewer vote.

"It's been such an incredible experience, and to think that [I] could have not even been part of this competition at all," she said. "I've lived, breathed, slept ice skating for the last six, seven months...100% I'm gonna continue skating."

Hamilton's professional partner Colin Ratushniak further praised his companion, stating: "For a first series, who could ask for a better partner, completely fearless... she blew me out of the water with what she could."

Judges Jason Gardiner, Robin Cousins and Emma Bunton variously described Attwater as "amazing", "accomplished", "terrific" and a "real performer" throughout tonight's final.

Bunton said after his 'Riverdance' display: "We are so lucky to have you on this show, you've been an amazing skater all the way through, but I've watched you become an amazing performer [too]."

On Attwater and Delcourt's bolero, Gardiner added: "[It was] incredibly captivating. I believed that you two were passionately involved, but mosty importantly you allowed time to breathe and execute everything so we could enjoy it with you."

Torvill and Dean were similarly impressed with the star's take on their iconic routine, with the former commenting that his dance was "very moving, very passionate, very strong".