“Let’s Dance” finale: Gabriel Kelly wins with the best samba in the show’s history

There has never been such a samba in “Let’s Dance”

First, the three finalists had to prove in jury dances how much they had learned on the dance floor in the past few weeks. Choreographer and coach Detelf D! Soost (53) was given a slow waltz and floated through the studio with his professional partner Ekaterina Leonova (37) to a version of “What A Wonderful World”. For audience favorite Ekat, the dance “felt so good” and the jury also praised it. You can tell from the two of them that it was a special evening, said Motsi Mabuse (43). Together with Jorge González (56) and Joachim Llambi (59), she pulled out a good 27 out of 30 possible points to start with.

Presenter Jana Wosnitza (30) and Vadim Garbuzov (37) danced a slow rumba. González’s “secret weapon” had “many, many good moments”, which Llambi and Mabuse described as quite sensual and romantic. However, she was unable to gain an advantage with 27 points. The big favorite of the season then more than lived up to his role. Kelly made it clear with Malika Dzumaev (33) that the competition would not be easy. Mabuse and Llambi agreed on this too. “There has never been a better samba in ‘Let’s Dance’ – ever, ever, ever,” she enthused. The show’s first judge confirmed: “That was the best samba in 17 years, of all the candidates.”

As a breather for the finalists, there was a show act by the professionals and a reunion with the eliminated Maria Clara Groppler (25), Eva Padberg (44), Lina Larissa Strahl (26) and Stefano Zarrella (33) on the TV floor. Biyon Kattilathu (40), Tony Bauer (28), Lulu (32) and Ann-Kathrin Bendixen (24) also performed out of competition. Mark Keller (59), Sophia Thiel (29) and Tillman Schulz (34) were unable to dance due to injury or illness.

Chief judge Llambi wants Gabriel Kelly to win

In the second round, the celebrities also showed top performances in their favorite dances with the dance professionals. According to González, Soost’s facial expressions during his samba were “sensational,” while Llambi wondered where the 53-year-old got his dynamism and strength from. With him, there is “no handbrake on,” and the long-time “Let’s Dance” juror prefers that to an overly controlled performance. 29 points. Mabuse elevated Wosnitza to the dance show nobility after her quickstep. “You are our standard queen,” praised the juror. González thanked her for the “really great show” so far, for which, like Soost, she once again received 29 points.

However, Kelly proved with a tango that he often danced in a different class during the season. The audience rewarded the performance with thunderous applause – probably the loudest that presenter Daniel Hartwich (45) has ever heard in the studio. The couple even managed to cover up the fact that Dzumaev’s skirt got stuck so easily and professionally that it didn’t even begin to affect the score of a full 30 points. The judge made no secret of the fact that Llambi would like to crown Kelly the winner of the season. The reason was quite simple: “Because he is the best this year.”

Role model Soost, power woman Wosnitza, final boss Kelly

But Soost and Wosnitza were not going to give up without a fight. His final freestyle to “Men in Black” was enthusiastically celebrated in the studio. “You were always Detlef. And you always gave a thousand percent,” acknowledged Llambi. Mabuse described the celebrity dancer as a role model who showed that you just have to give everything in life. And González was still “on another planet.” All three of them received well-deserved ten points.

A Beyoncé freestyle was also Wosnitza’s best dance of the evening. Not only did she get a standing ovation from the audience and the jury, but she also got 30 points. “That was chica power,” admired González. Llambi thought she really cleaned up with girl power in her final number and Mabuse was “really blown away” by it all. Wosnitza works “incredibly hard” and that should be rewarded. Hartwich’s co-host Victoria Swarovski (30) summed it up: “Beyoncé would be so proud of you.”

Kelly and Dzumaev’s Romeo and Juliet freestyle was the last highlight of the season. For Mabuse, the two embodied “pure dancing” and what they showed was “world class”. Llambi praised all three freestyles again, which were very different and great in their own way, but the 22-year-old put his own touch on the finale. So it’s no wonder that Kelly was able to score the maximum number of points three times that evening, bringing the full 90 points in the jury’s evaluation, while Soost and Wosnitza were still able to score a very good 86 points each.