Jason Kelman and Shireen Fyffe Strictly Inverness 2024 winners
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00:00 So first of all, how does it feel to have won?
00:06 Unreal.
00:07 Amazing!
00:08 We've won!
00:09 I can't believe we've just won Strictly 2024.
00:12 What a honour!
00:13 Literally unbelievable.
00:15 We did not think, two weeks ago we were saying that maybe if we try and dance okay, we might
00:20 qualify and get into the final and that was what we were trying to do, was just get into
00:25 the final and dance on the last night.
00:27 To actually go out and we danced, not too bad.
00:31 No we didn't!
00:32 And then to come out, winnerish.
00:35 Yeah, it's surreal, it's unbelievable, it's amazing.
00:39 The most amazing feeling.
00:41 It's all a blur at the moment.
00:43 But yeah, fabulous.
00:45 And what first inspired you to join the competition?
00:48 For me it was my mum.
00:51 She was at the hospice in 2021.
00:54 I said to her at the time that I would do Strictly and here I am, so this one's for my mum.
00:59 She'd be a dead proud of us I think.
01:01 I think so.
01:02 Yeah, I tell her about it all the time, she knows all about it.
01:05 She'll be watching.
01:07 And do you think you've done your mum proud?
01:09 I think so.
01:10 I think so.
01:11 You've done your mum really proud.
01:12 I think she'd be super proud.
01:14 There was obviously a table of hospice nurses there tonight, that obviously meant a lot to you.
01:18 Oh, so, so much.
01:20 And I was there for five months, so their care and love was just the most amazing thing.
01:25 So I'm doing it for them too.
01:26 And we raised loads of money for the hospice.
01:28 And we raised loads of money.
01:29 Which is the most important part of it.
01:31 And for those that don't know, how much did you raise?
01:34 £18,700 I think is what our final total was round about that.
01:40 So yeah, an amazing amount of money.
01:43 And what kind of fundraisers did you do?
01:46 So we did, I think one of our first ones was a curling event.
01:49 We did a curling event here at the ice rink.
01:52 You did a cold switch.
01:54 We did a cold switch.
01:55 We did a yoga at the townhouse.
01:57 Coffee morning.
01:58 Coffee morning.
01:59 My daughter Lily did a dance workshop for Highland Dancing.
02:06 We went out shaking tins.
02:08 We did.
02:09 We did a range of various fundraising events.
02:14 And it was all good.
02:15 It was enjoyable.
02:16 It was loads of fun.
02:17 You mentioned Lily and her dancing.
02:18 Now you're a top dancer.
02:20 Well, well, maybe not quite to Lily's standard.
02:24 But I do have another trophy to now put on the mantelpiece.
02:27 Amongst Lily's trophies.
02:29 So yeah, she'll not be able to say I can't dance anymore.
02:33 Maybe I can dance just a little bit.
02:35 You guys obviously had a connection from the start.
02:38 Do you think that's what really helped?
02:40 Yeah, I would say right from day one.
02:42 We hit it off straight away.
02:44 We had a good laugh.
02:46 We said when we came into this, when we met first, let's just have a good laugh.
02:50 Because I'd said to Shireen, I can't dance.
02:53 Shireen could dance.
02:54 And I said, look, I'm really sorry.
02:56 You've got me as a partner because I literally have two left feet.
03:00 And because I didn't want to do Strictly, I didn't apply to come into Strictly.
03:06 My wife and two daughters put the application form in.
03:10 And I didn't know that had happened until the email came through saying they'd been accepted into Strictly 2024.
03:18 Which at first hearing that was no way.
03:21 I'm not doing that.
03:22 No way would you get me in a dance floor.
03:24 Because I don't dance at weddings or parties.
03:28 I'm one of those guys.
03:30 So to think coming here was the most horrifying thought for me.
03:35 But we're here now.
03:37 We enjoyed the process.
03:39 Loved every minute.
03:40 I've got a couple of moves.
03:42 And how do you think it's changed you?
03:44 I mean, we were obviously talking about it day by day.
03:46 I think for me, dancing wise, it's probably a confidence booster.
03:51 To actually think I went up onto a dance floor in front of, what, 600, 800 people over the last few nights.
03:59 That's a horrifying thought for me.
04:02 And to think I'm out there doing it.
04:04 You've done it.
04:05 But it was great.
04:06 It was great.
04:07 And what's your message for anyone who's maybe thinking about doing it?
04:10 Well, like I said, I was, no way would I do this.
04:15 Now, after the process, I would advise anybody to do it.
04:19 It is one of the best experiences.
04:21 One of the best ones.
04:23 And I've met Shireen, and I think we're friends for life now.
04:26 Absolutely.
04:27 Yes.
04:28 And how would you explain the dancing journey?
04:33 Tough.
04:34 Pretty tough.
04:35 Lots of fun.
04:36 Lots of fun.
04:37 More challenging than I thought.
04:39 Yeah.
04:40 Well, I think our first dance lesson, they said, we're going to teach you how to do, because we did a Charleston and a Quick Step.
04:46 And the first lesson, they said, right, we're going to show you how to do a swivel.
04:49 And I think my first comment was, what's a swivel?
04:52 So I knew nothing about dancing.
04:55 It was tough.
04:57 What was your favourite dance, and what do you think made you win the competition?
05:02 I actually love both the dances.
05:05 They're both quite different.
05:06 Both different in length.
05:08 Don't think we would have a favourite?
05:10 No.
05:11 No, I don't think so.
05:12 We were Quick Step, but then we seemed to just shine through on the Charleston over the last couple of weeks.
05:19 And the last couple of nights, they seemed to like the Charleston.
05:22 Yeah.
05:23 I think we got 10s for it.
05:24 We did.
05:25 Both nights, we were doing Charleston.
05:27 So maybe that is our dance now.
05:29 Maybe.
05:30 And what do you think made you win the competition?
05:33 Hard work.
05:34 Hard work.
05:35 But everyone has said that we're just a good team.
05:37 We always have a good laugh.
05:39 Yeah.
05:40 We were always the ones at the back, whispering what's going on, and finding out, and capering about.
05:46 Our dance tutor, Lara, was always getting on at us.
05:48 We were like the two naughty school kids at the back of the class.
05:51 We just wanted to have a good time.
05:52 We had a good time.
05:53 We had a good laugh.