Hospice dance competition winners crowned
Rachael Janson, a visual effects technician from Berkhamsted, and her dance partner, Maria Hernandez-Humm, have been crowned the winners of the 2026 Rennie Grove Peace Strictly Come Hospice competition, at a star-studded final show attended by TV star, Kellie Bright.
At the Grand Final at the Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth on Friday 30 January, Rachael and Maria and 20 other amateur dancers gathered to show off the skills they had developed during 10 weeks of professional dance tuition.
As the dancers performed either a Charleston or Cha Cha routine, they were marked by judges including TV’s Kellie Bright who took part in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, as well as Karen Pawlowska and Yvonne Taylor Hill and audience voting.
Rachael and Maria were named the winners of this year’s competition for their Cha Cha performance to Boogie Wonderland, thanks to a combination of the judges’ scores and voting by the 500-strong audience watching the show on the night.
Rachael and Maria were matched as dance partners before the first rehearsal after signing up for the hospice fundraising initiative last autumn. As part of the challenge, they attended 10 weeks of professional dance tuition, along with 20 other pairs of local amateur dancers, to learn a complete dance routine to perform at the final.
After the event, Rachael said: ‘Winning Strictly Come Hospice is an incredible feeling, it’s the result of 10 weeks of hard work that was wrapped in joy. We couldn’t quite believe it when it was announced, it was an overwhelming rush of emotion.
‘I’ve enjoyed every minute of this experience – but most of all I’ve loved getting to learn something new with a group of fantastic people. Dancing every week with Maria and learning from teachers, Scott and Lauren couldn’t have been more special.
‘The highlight of the night, aside from winning that lovely glitter ball trophy, was hearing how much money we’d raised for the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. Their work is so essential in our community, and I couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of something so joyous that will help make a difference.’
Maria added: ‘We didn’t stop smiling and laughing for the whole journey. Everyone from friends and family, the other contestants, and staff from Rennie Grove Peace have been so supportive and encouraging.
‘Before this started, I would never have thought I could have danced on stage in front of an audience and judges. The whole experience has given me more self-belief and courage to go on an try different things and get out of my comfort zone.’
Dancers who took part in the event were challenged to raise at least £800 in sponsorship for the hospice care charity. The event has currently raised an impressive £43,000 thanks to sponsorship, ticket sales and donations made by audience members who voted on the night.
Emma Stewart, Events Manager, at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, says: ‘It was amazing to see everybody’s hard work come together on the night of the Strictly Come Hospice grand finale. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our dancers, our professional dance teachers and everybody who made the grand finale event happen – including our judges, compere and volunteers on the night.
‘I’d also like to say a huge thank you to our headline sponsor, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, for their support throughout the whole process.
‘Every penny raised by this event will be used to fund hospice care in our community. We need to raise over £19,000 every single day just to keep our patient services running, so events like this are really important in ensuring we can continue to provide extraordinary care for the people in our community who need it.’
To register your interest for next year’s Strictly Come Hospice event, visit renniegrovepeace.org/strictly27.