Bobby Brazier has said having his loved ones experience his Strictly Come Dancing journey alongside him has been the “best thing in the world”.
The EastEnders star, 20, will compete against former Corrie actress Ellie Leach and Bad Education actor Layton Williams during the grand finale on Saturday in a bid to win the glitterball trophy.
He will take on three dances on the night with his partner Dianne Buswell, including reprising their emotional couple’s choice routine which was dedicated to Brazier’s late mother Jade Goody, who died in 2009 aged 27 with cervical cancer.
Speaking about the support he has received, Brazier said: “The reason that doing stuff like this is so fun and so cool is because it’s not just me that experiences it, it’s my team, it’s my friends, and my family, and my nearest and dearest that all experience it to the same level as I do.
“I’m in the final so they’re in the final. And that’s the best thing in the world, I love that so much.
“To be able to bring my best friends to cool things that I’m able to do, that’s what makes it fun.”
Brazier has had a strong run in the BBC competition but nearly missed out on a spot in the grand final after he landed in the dreaded dance-off against tennis star Annabel Croft last weekend.
“I was watching Annabel and I thought it was flawless, so I feel lucky,” the actor admitted.
“And this is what I wanted, I wanted to experience all of Strictly. To know that I’m not going to miss out on a dance and I get to do as many dances as I possibly could have with Dianne.”
Buswell agreed that she felt “really honoured” to be part of the final three with Brazier, who she feels will be a Hollywood star some day.
She said: “I do believe he is going to be something massive because just knowing him and seeing him and his hard work, just the way he is with people, just everything about him, it’s the small things for me that makes him this beautiful star.
“Even if he doesn’t see now, I truly believe he’ll be something magical. And this is a little journey to get him to Hollywood and if I can play a small part in helping him achieve a bigger goal in the future, whenever that is, then I think it’s going to be something we’ll remember forever.”
For the final, the pair will also return to their samba to Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton, which the judges’ have picked for them, while their show dance will be a La La Land Medley.
Brazier revealed the three dances are all “very different” but will “encapsulate everything” they have done in the competition.
“There’s going to be a real contrast and I’m going to be able to show all the different feelings that we felt along the way of our Strictly journey to the end”, he added.
“I think that the cake is being in the final and having done as much as I possibly could have with Di, but the cherry on top would be to lift the trophy.
“It means a lot to both of us and it would just be another great Strictly experience that I’d never forget.”
Buswell is also eager to be crowned the winners as she has not claimed the title yet after seven years on the show.
She added: “I’ve dreamt of this moment many, many times and I feel like there’s been many times that I’ve gone ‘Oh, maybe not this year, maybe not this year’. Seventh year possibly it could happen…
“For Bobby because it’s his only chance to do this, and also I’ve just had such a brilliant time with Bobby and I feel like he really deserves it, it would be an absolute dream.”
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final will air live on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
