Zakeeya Patel wins ‘Strictly Come Dancing’

Ten weeks of competitive dancing saw the elimination of celebrities such as kwaito musician L’vovo Derrango, quirky radio presenter Kuli Roberts, idiosyncratic 5FM producer Damon Kalvari, and veteran actress Connie Fergusaon, but ultimately led to a head-to-head final between television presenters Llala Hiriyama and Thapelo Mokoena, and actress Zakeeya.

The first couple who were sent home during the climactic two-hour episode on SABC3 was Thapelo and professional dance partner Hayley Bennet, who received the fewest viewer votes after the freestyle dances.

This left nervous couples Llala and Grant Estherhuizen, and Zakeeya and Ryan Hammond, who all dazzled with impressive moves as they whirled across the dance floor, but it was ultimately Zakeeya and Ryan who impressed the judges the most, so much so that they received full scores from the judges twice.

As the winners of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ season sixth, Zakeeya and Ryan walk away with a trophy and R25 000 in each of their pockets.

Zakeeya Patel is currently on small screens across the country as Dhananjay Patel on SABC3 drama series ‘High Rollers’, and is also recognised for her role as Amita Khan on short-lived, high-budget M-Net soapie ‘The Wild’. With a solid background in theatre, she also played Aisha in SA film ‘Material’, alongside comedian and actor Riaad Moosa.

– TEAMtalk Media