Norwegian artist Martinus Gunnarsen and his dance partner Paulina Rosenkvister won this season of Sweden's "Let's Dance," the TV4 show's final aired Friday evening, according to VG.
Four pairs competed for the title: Lovisa "Laki" Karlsson, Lisa Borg, Ludwig Blomqvist and Gunnarsen. The winner was settled after the jury awarded its points and viewers cast their votes.
Gunnarsen said in TV4's live broadcast that he believed he had put in more work than anyone else in the competition, describing how he had essentially lived in the "Let's Dance" studio to get every routine right. He said he could not have worked harder and that he was very pleased with the result.
Why it matters
The win gives Gunnarsen, one of two Norwegians in this season's cast, the title in a Swedish production that draws attention across both countries. His victory also came in a final that was nearly derailed by injuries, adding a layer of difficulty to the result.
VG reports that Rosenkvister, the professional dancer paired with Gunnarsen, wrote on Instagram that she had suffered a broken rib and described "two worn-out souls" with three days left before the final. She told the newspaper Expressen that she intended to dance the final as planned, saying she was the one who had been "a bit broken" after a lift, but that they were fighting on because the final could not be missed.
Hours before Friday's final, Rosenkvister shared a picture on her Instagram story of the Norwegian sitting with a bandaged knee. Anna Lundkvist, the press contact for the TV program, told Expressen that Gunnarsen had hurt his knee but that he was doing fine.
A season with two Norwegian contestants
Gunnarsen was not the only Norwegian in this season of "Let's Dance." Petter Northug was eliminated two weeks ago. After being told he was out, Northug called the experience a fantastic journey and a memory for life, according to VG.
The reporting also points to interest in how the Swedish and Norwegian versions of the format compare. Dagbladet noted that a Norwegian contestant won the Swedish edition, while TV 2 carried a critical assessment of the Swedish "Skal vi danse" that said it could not measure up to its counterpart.
What happens next for Gunnarsen and Rosenkvister has not been announced in the reporting. The immediate focus remains the final result and the injuries both partners carried into it.
