ON his way home from a whirlwind after-show party with the Glitterball trophy by his side, new Strictly champion Hamza Yassin beamed with joy – and he certainly has a lot to smile about.
For the naturally shy 32-year-old is about to be catapulted into mega-stardom after being tipped as the new David Attenborough.
Hazma Yassin looked astonished as he lifted the glitterball trophy with pro dancer Jowita Przystal
On his way home from a whirlwind after-show party, the new Strictly champion beamed with joy
Experts say Hamza, already set to get his own nature show, could earn millions as a global star.
PR expert Mark Borkowski said: “Authenticity is key to celebrity success and Hamza looks like the real thing.
“David Attenborough’s boots are incredibly hard to fill . . . but, like Hamza, he too had to start somewhere.
“The BBC needs a new face for its sensational wildlife shows, and Hamza definitely fits that profile. It’s not unrealistic to say he could be the new Attenborough.
“The BBC has found a star among its own stable and bringing Hamza on to the show was a stroke of genius. He may not even be limited to this country because of the BBC worldwide and he could well become global.”
For Hamza, it is a lot to take in.
The humble wildlife cameraman and CBeebies presenter looked astonished as he lifted the glitterball trophy with pro dancer Jowita Przystal on Saturday, later telling viewers: “Words can’t describe how I feel.”
Hamza wowed the judges from the start with his foxtrot in week one and charmed viewers and his fellow constants with his quiet, unassuming nature.
Fellow celeb dancer, actress Kym Marsh said that everyone burst into tears behind the scenes when he won.
Hearts sing
She said: “There was not a dry eye in the house. It was fabulous.”
And while he may not have been one of the most famous faces when he joined the show, with his trademark calf-length dreadlocks he is now one of the most instantly recognisable of Strictly’s champions.
Experts say Hazma, already set to get his own nature show, could earn millions as a global star
Deeply private but believed to be single, Hamza has seen the biggest increase in social media followers of any of this year’s contestants, with his Instagram fans jumping from 41,900 to 176,000.
On his latest Instagram post, Hamza said he was still “trying to comprehend” winning the show and described Jowita as an “angel disguised as a human being.”
He wrote: “You shone a light for me that got me through some tough weeks and have been by my side every step of the way . . . I will forever be grateful for how you have changed my life.”
James Herring, an expert in consumer brands and co-founder of the agency Taylor Herring, predicts Hamza will be in huge demand.
He said: “His agent’s phone must be ringing off the hook.”
By Hazma’s own admission he was a relative unknown compared to other Strictly competitors such as runners-up, presenter Helen Skelton and singer Fleur East, who made The X Factor final in 2014. He said: “When I got announced it was ‘who’s he?’
He has had roles on TVs Countryfile and Animal Park but was better recognised by kids as Ranger Hamza for CBeebie’s show Let’s Go For A Walk.
Living on a remote Scottish isle, he was not used to fame and found the show “a lot” to get used to.
Referencing the incredible lifts he and his partner achieved on Strictly, he said: “Normally I’m not under the spotlight and Jowita told me it would all be fine, she gets me through and then I just flip her on a Saturday! It is a lot for me because I can spend weeks by myself.”
Brand expert James added that Hamza’s shyness could be the making of him. He said: “His personality very much suits his subject matter. It’s not as if natural history shows necessitate you to have a larger-than-life character.
“The softly spoken, gentle approach is what’s needed and Hamza has it in spades.
“It’s a balancing act. Loud celebrities are ten a penny and Hamza’s less in-your-face approach is a breath of fresh air.”
He was eight when his mum and dad left Sudan for Britain in 1998, settling in Newcastle
Hamza’s popularity on Strictly was summed up by head judge Shirley Ballas, who told him: “You make our hearts sing. You make everyone smile.”
Hamza, who is 5ft 8in, weighed more than 18 and a half stone at the start of Strictly but lost 20lbs through all the training required for the show.
He has an incredible personal story.
He has overcome homelessness – once sleeping in his car for a year – dyslexia and racism to follow in the footsteps of his idols David Attenborough and the late Australian zoo keeper Steve Irwin.
He was Born in Sudan and was eight when his mum Ilham Karrar and dad Ahmed Yassin, both medics, were invited to practise in the UK by the Royal College of Medicine.
Before the move he lived with a large number of family members.
His grandmother oversaw the property, with each of her seven children also living there in their own sections of the home.
Hamza recalled how he could see the river Nile from the top of the house, where he would occasionally spot crocodiles and other wildlife.
With his calf-length dreadlocks he is now one of the most instantly recognisable of Strictly’s champions
Arriving in the UK in 1998, first in Newcastle, was a huge shock for Hamza who said he could only say “hi” and “thank you” — though he later learned popular Geordie phrases such as “Why-aye man”.
He found solace in nature documentaries — which also helped him get the hang of English.
He said: “When I came to this country I didn’t speak a word of English and my parents put the TV on the Natural History channel.
“David Attenborough was narrating The Life Of Birds at the time and I fell in love with it. You didn’t need to know the language because you see all the amazing footage and the beauty of it.”
His mum has told how the family including the two boys frequently moved as they worked in different hospitals, saying: “This did affect their childhood, but it helped them to become very understanding and adaptable people.”
The family moved to Northampton in 2001, where Hamza went to the £20,000-per-year Welling-borough school, where it was discovered he was dyslexic.
Ilham said: “Some schools refused to get him tested for a learning difficulty because they just thought he was struggling because English was not his first language.”
When a teacher recognised his dyslexia she set up support, which allowed Hamza to turn his life around.
Hazma wowed viewers and fellow constants with his quiet, unassuming nature
He now describes it as his super power, saying: “If it wasn’t for my dyslexia I wouldn’t be the man that I am now.
“I want to say to anyone who has dyslexia to see it as a gift, rather than a hindrance.”
It also allowed him to pursue a career doing something he loved — studying nature.
He recalled: “Growing up in Africa I had wildlife surrounding me, but I didn’t know that I was lucky. It’s only when I came to the UK I realised I had a lucky upbringing.”
Hamza decided to study zoology with conservation at Bangor University in Wales. He graduated in 2011 and went on to gain a Masters in biological photography and imaging at the University of Nottingham.
When he grew up in Africa, Hazma had wildlife all around him
Bangor later went on to give him an Honorary Master of Science degree — just like his idol Sir David.
At 21 Hamza went on holiday to the Ardnamurchan peninsula, one of the most remote areas of Scotland and the most westerly point of Great Britain’s mainland, and fell in love with it. He said: “I told my parents I had found where I was going to stay, came back and never left.”
He told his parents he wanted to become a professional wildlife photographer and lived out of his car for a year, using a community centre to wash his clothes.
Hamza said: “They thought it would be a two-week thing, a phase. My dad said, ‘He will come back to us when his clothes are dirty and he wants more home-cooked food’.”
But he stayed, living in holiday homes before saving enough money to buy his own place.
Hamza said locals welcomed him “two thousand per cent” and were often keen to tell him about sightings of golden eagles and red deer.
In a 2020 interview he explained: “I’m the only black person on the whole peninsula and most of the west coast.
“Even people on neighbouring islands know who I am.”
While he might love life and the quiet remoteness of Scotland, with his new found fame, the world is now Hamza’s oyster
But he has said that he has experienced racism throughout his life, adding: “As a young black man I have been through my fair share of racism throughout my life and have overcome it.
“But things have to change, we have to educate each other.”
Before Strictly, Hamza honed his strength competing in Highland Games, including tossing the caber, which sees entrants flipping a large tapered pole into the air.
It came in handy for his incredible salsa, when he tossed partner Jowita above his head.
While he might love life and the quiet remoteness of Scotland, with his new found fame, the world is now Hamza’s oyster.
