Strictly finalists: highs and lows revealed

This year's Strictly was the most-watched series in its 12-year history with an average of 11.3 million viewers tuning in to watch 15 famous names battle it out on the dance floor.

The competition had been filled with highs and lows for the three finalists which included surviving the dreaded dance-off and scoring 10s from notoriously difficult judge Craig Revel-Horwood.

Here we look at what Danny Mac, Ore Oduba and Louise Redknapp brought to the 2016 show:

Danny Mac

Famous for: Being an actor - he appeared on long-running soap Hollyoaks.

Known on Strictly for: His shirt "accidentally" coming undone - and occasionally being so good he is confused for one of the professional dancers.

Grand final dances: The couple's favourite dance was their samba to Magalenha by Sergio Mendes. Their showdance was performed to Set Fire to the Rain by Adele. Mabuse said the dance expressed Mac's journey on Strictly Come Dancing and how "Strictly has made him a better person".

Best moment: "The best moment for a high was probably the samba and getting that score - the first time everything went as good as it could possibly have been."

Worst moment: "It was the foxtrot, the disappointment Oti felt that she hadn't done enough. It broke my heart that she felt she hadn't done enough for me."

Key quotes:

• "This is the best thing I've ever done in my life. Oti is one of the most remarkable people I've ever met."

• "None of us will ever be as good as the pros. Which means there's always so much to learn. If it's working, Oti will make it harder. She will push me and push me and push me."

• "We had the most unlikely group of friends on the show. I have the coolest What's App group in the world - it's absolutely mad. It really is brilliant and I'm so proud to be a part of it."

• "The thing I was most terrified about on this show was being myself."

Ore Oduba

Famous for: Being a BBC sports presenter.

Known on Strictly for: Getting emotional and shedding a few tears - on more than one occasion.

Grand final dances: Oduba and Clifton took to the dancefloor with a jive to Runaway Baby by Bruno Mars, their favourite of the series. Their showdance was set to I Got Rhythm by George and Ira Gershwin.

Best moment: "For me, the best thing has been learning to dance with such an amazing friend."

Worst moment: "Being in the dance-off for the first time for the salsa. In that moment, the whole Strictly experience flashes before your eyes and within a dance, you might not be able to do this again. And it's crushing."

Key quotes:

• "This show has gone beyond my wildest dreams. There's something about that live audience, something about knowing the whole country is watching you in that moment."

• "I didn't dance at my own wedding - we didn't do a routine."

• On getting compared to Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain: "That's going to be banked in the memory for some time."

Louise Redknapp

Famous for: Performing with girl band Eternal and as a solo singer.

Grand final dances: The dance picked by the pair to repeat for the final was their Argentine Tango to Tanguera by Sexteto Mayor. Their showdance was to One Moment in Time by Whitney Houston, which Clifton said was "based on Louise... her story on Strictly, how she's developed from the beginning to the end".

Best moment: "The moment I enjoyed most was probably with my feathers, in Big Spender - getting to stand up there with two big feathers, shimmying, it's good fun."

Worst moment: "Apart from wearing a fruit hat on Saturday, which wasn't one of my finest moments - I had a slight meltdown over wearing the fruit hat - I cried in rehearsals trying to learn the rumba and I'm not that person - I don't cry when I can't get something. I just get on with it. I never thought Strictly would affect me like that."

Key quotes:

• "I did (Strictly) for real personal reasons - I just wanted to do something for me. Anyone who's got kids knows that your life becomes very wrapped up in them and you end up doing nothing that you love doing. So Strictly for me was always about week by week, making the most of it, enjoying it. And just really getting back out there and remembering I love performing."

• "When I started doing the show, I thought it's so not going to be up [husband] Jamie's street - but I can't get rid of him! He's in the front row, in the training room... I wasn't expecting that. It's nice to see someone you love extremely proud of you. It takes me back to 20 years ago when we first met. All good things come out of Strictly."

• "Saturday night, for me... I'm so proud to be there. I'm going to give it my best and enjoy every minute of it."

This year's other contestants, in the order they left the show, were:

• Melvin Odoom (left in week two)

• Tameka Empson (week three)

• Will Young (week three)

• Naga Munchetty (week four)

• Lesley Joseph (week five)

• Anastacia (week six)

• Laura Whitmore (week seven)

• Daisy Lowe (week eight)

• Greg Rutherford (week nine)

• Ed Balls (week 10)

• Judge Rinder (week 11)

• Claudia Fragapane (week 12)