Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards soared to victory on Tom Daley's reality diving show Splash on Saturday night. Eddie beat actor Jake Canuso and interior designer Linda Barker to take the title of Splash's first ever winner. The former Olympic skier gave a flawless performance for his first dive, a two-and-a-half somersault from the 10m diving board, that earned him the maximum 30 score of points.
There was more perfection in the pool from Eddie when his second dive, an inward pike synchronised dive with host Tom, left him just one point shy of full marks. Following some difficulty during the week's training sessions, 49-year-old Eddie was thrilled to receive high praise from the judging panel. "That was more than special. You nailed it!" said Andy Banks, the trainer who guided Tom to his Olympic medal success.
Comedienne Jo Brand jokingly spotted a potential career change given Eddie's diving prowess when she commented "You just need to master hang gliding and you could be the next Milk Tray man." While Tom took a bronze medal during London's 2012 Olympic Games, Eddie's previous sporting career didn't quite follow the same path. In 1988 his trip to the Canadian city of Calgary for the Winter Olympics saw him finish last in both his 70m and 90m events. Eddie's win on the ITV show saw him triumph over the other 14 contestants who included model Caprice, TV presenter Donna Air and Sugababes singer Jade Ewen.
Jenni Falconer, who was the third celebrity to leave the series, was full of admiration for Eddie. During the show she tweeted "Wow, Eddie the Eagle just nailed that dive. Fantastic. We are all in awe. And only diving a few weeks."