Weatherman Tamati Coffey and his partner Samantha Hitchcock scraped through on public votes to win Dancing with the Stars tonight, despite being behind on the judges' scores.
Olympic boardsailing champion Barbara Kendall and Jonny Williams were the judges' favourites with a 117 to 113 point lead after three routines in what host Jason Gunn said was the closest final scoring the TV1 show had ever seen.
From the start it was anyone's competition with both couples posting scores of 38 (out of 40).
However, Coffey stepped up for his second performance, the pasa doblae, gave the camera a determined glare, and danced his way to a perfect score.
"I think I have just seen the dance I was missing from you," judge Brendan Cole told him.
Craig Revel-Horwood gave the pair a quick scare with his opening remark.
"I absolutely hated it," he said, wiping the grins from Coffey and Hitchcock's faces.
"And I'll tell you why; I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it," he said before awarding them 10 points to complete their 40 point haul.
Kendall answered back, quickstepping her way to 39 points, and praise from the judges, but was still a point down with one dance remaining.
Coffey and Hitchcock had appeared confident all week with the Breakfast presenter making several promises to "bring it", and big things were expected from the final dance.
Their Anzac-themed performance was complimented for its choreography and Coffey in an army uniform garnered comments from the ladies, but with only 35 points awarded the door was open for a Kendall comeback.
A lift labelled "death-defying" by judge Craig Revel-Horwood, saw her match Coffey's earlier perfect score, giving her and Williams the edge ahead of the public votes.
But it was not to be with the cash going to Coffey's chosen charity Rainbow Youth - an organisation which provides support to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth and their families.
