Rufus Hound claims dancing crown with Cheryl Cole spoof

11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Comedian Rufus Hound walked away with the Let's Dance For Sport Relief title after performing an entertaining spoof of Cheryl Cole's number one Fight For This Love.


Fighting for dancing crown: Rufus Hound took the dancing King title

Hound's parody of the Girls Aloud singer's hit, complete with harem pants, lipstick and military attired backing dancers, attracted the biggest number of votes from viewers of the final show aired last night on BBC One.

As the result was announced by hosts Claudia Winkleman and Steve Jones, Hound joked: "I believe this moment defines me and is history."

He then bowed down to accept his trophy from reigning champion Robert Webb, who also donned a leotard for his vote-winning Flashdance routine last year.

Bookies' favourite Hound just pipped fellow comedian Katy Brand to the 2010 title following her energetic take on Beyonce's Single Ladies video.

The MythBusters narrator attracted glowing praise from the three-strong panel of celebrity judges earlier in the show.

Robert Webb said: "It almost goes without saying you are more compelling and watchable than Cheryl Cole. However, what you've also added is a costume that clearly hurts - in my experience the British public respects that."

Impressionist Jon Culshaw added: "I think Simon Cowell would be very happy with the beautiful tribute you paid to his Cheryl. I thought that was very deeply moving - it's three yeses."

Comedian Jack Dee said: "That was world class and you've given us my mojo back. Can I just say, this is a charity, when you take that leotard off could you please incinerate it?"

Prior to the final, Hound said he had been told Cole, who recently announced her split from England footballer husband Ashley Cole and is currently ill with bronchitis, "loves" the routine.

He said: "I was told through the grapevine that she'd seen it and really liked it, but like all the things on the grapevine you have no idea whether it's true, but one of my dancers who is also one of Cheryl's backing dancers told me he spoke to her and he went, 'she loves it, she thinks it's the funniest thing'."

The judges were equally impressed by Brand's Beyonce spoof.

Culshaw said: "I have never seen attitude like that. That was not a performance, that was a force of nature."

Dee added: "You have got yourself a new stalker girl."

Other celebrities taking part in the dance contest for Sport Relief included GMTV's Kate Garraway and Richard Arnold, who performed Born To Hand Jive from the musical Grease, plus actress Debra Stephenson who performed a version of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.

They were joined in the final six by The Grumpy Old Women - Lesley Joseph, Linda Robson, Jenny Eclair and Susie Blake - taking on Lady Gaga's Poker Face, plus EastEnders actress Cheryl Fergison's spoof of Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby.

Fergison was forced to sit out the final after picking up a leg injury during rehearsals, but viewers were still able to vote on her earlier performance.

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