Strictly Come Dancing: Alesha wins!

Alesha Dixon has won the 2007 series of Strictly Come Dancing, beating rival dancer Matt Di Angelo into second place.

The former Mis-teeq singer - who was hot favourite to take the title - was openly thrilled as the result was announced, leaping on to dance partner Matthew Cutler in celebration.

"You are a star in the making," Matthew said of Alesha, "and you've worked so hard. You've given 150 per cent and you're a sheer joy to work with.

Runner-up Matt thanked Flavia for "everything I've been taught", while she described her celebrity dance partner as "amazing. I couldn't have wished for a better partner," she said.

And the pair - who have been rumoured to be more than just friends - were taken by surprise, and giggled nervously when Tess Daly asked whether they would be seeing each other again. "We'll see," said Matt hesitantly.

Earlier in the evening, Alesha and Matthew had performed a waltz, cha cha cha and jive to a rapturous response from the judging panel. Before the final result was announced they also performed a Viennese waltz with Matt and Flavia, and rounded off their performance with a freestyle routine to the Bonnie Tyler song Holding Out For A Hero.

"This wasn't a dance. This was a stunning epic performance," Bruno said of the routine, while Craig Revel Horwood agreed. "You danced as if your life depended on it," he told Alesha. "Brilliant."

Matt also picked up plenty of praise for his final two dances, following his American Smooth, salsa and quickstep in the first show of the evening.

Arlene Phillips described the actor's freestyle routine - to Lenny Kravitz's Are You Gonna Go My Way - as "dynamite", while Len said, "You nailed it, it was absolutely brilliant."