Strictly's Vito Coppola cracks up Claudia Winkleman with reaction to semi-final result

What did you miss?

Strictly Come Dancing pro Vito Coppola left Claudia Winkleman in stitches of laughter on Sunday, 8 December's results show.

The Italian was speaking to Winkleman after learning that he and celebrity partner Sarah Hadland had made it through to next weekend's grand final; asked how he felt, Coppola's response was beautifully blunt.

"Best answer ever!" laughed the presenter.

What, how and why?

Hadland, who seemingly can't stop dreaming about head Strictly judge Shirley Ballas, began by admitting to Winkleman: "I genuinely thought we were gonna be in the dance-off and I'd really psyched myself up for that, I just couldn't believe it when our names were called out."

"Vito, this is your third final, how are you feeling?" said Winkleman, referring to Coppola's previous final appearances with Ellie Leach (winning the competition in 2023) and Fleur East (finishing as runner-up in 2022).

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Holding his face in disbelief, the pro dancer commented: "Claudia, I don't know. Honestly, I feel normal!"

Winkleman fell back in her seat with a big cackle and slapped her leg a few times. "Best answer ever!" she smiled as Hadland and fellow finalists Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell watched on grinning.

Who else reached this year's Strictly final?

Following the last dance-off of the series, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and her partner Aljaž Škorjanec, and JLS singer JB Gill and Lauren Oakley (stepping in for Amy Dowden again) joined the aforementioned couples as Strictly 2024 finalists.

Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystał fell at the semi-final hurdle, and the former told Tess Daly: "It's been wild. I've been quite honest about the fact that I didn't necessarily want to do [Strictly] in the first place, but everyone else wanted me to do it, and I am so, so glad that I did it!

"You don't always have to be the best, but if you enjoy something then why shouldn't you have a go at it? I've tried my best from day one, I said I was in for a penny, in for a pound and I've done it, it's been beautiful."

He added of choreographer Przystał: "You're one of the most incredible people — not just as a dancer — but as a person. You've been a ray of sunshine for me. You've helped me through things in the past three months that I didn't think I could do and you made me believe in myself and that means more to me than anything."

Strictly Come Dancing's grand final airs Saturday, 14 December on BBC One.