Mabuse, the eight-time Latin champion back in her native South Africa, first entered the Strictly franchise by appearing on the German version, Let’s Dance, in 2015. Later that year, she made her UK Strictly debut in season 13, partnering Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo. It wasn’t a spectacular start – the pair were eliminated in Week 3 – but they were severely limited by Ogogo’s pre-existing shoulder injury.

Mabuse had longer stints with three more sportsmen, Jonnie Peacock, Graeme Swann and most recently Ugo Monye, but she really impressed with the actor Danny Mac, reaching the final in season 14. She then went one better with Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher, nabbing her first trophy in season 17, and followed that up with a surprise win the following year while partnering comedian Bill Bailey.

In retrospect, it probably shouldn’t have been that big of a surprise. Mabuse, a strict teacher and exciting competitor, has never written off any of her partners as mere cannon fodder or “comedy” acts. Instead, she has instilled the ballroom fundamentals into the most unlikely of candidates, and, unlike some of the current crop of pros, maintains serious respect for the traditional dances and their technical underpinnings.

But her success lies in pairing that with choreographic innovation and a flair for the dramatic. Her Viennese waltz with Mac had added emotional engagement thanks to its warring-couple plotline, while their Puttin’ on the Ritz Charleston at Blackpool, which included creative flourishes such as risky table-top dancing, was a total showstopper.