Thousands of Norfolk viewers will be rooting for Thetford-born Caroline Flack when she appears in the Strictly Come Dancing final.

Eastern Daily Press: Caroline Flack's mum Christine, with the EDP's poster encouraging Strictly Come Dancing fans to vote for her daughter. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY.Caroline Flack's mum Christine, with the EDP's poster encouraging Strictly Come Dancing fans to vote for her daughter. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY. (Image: Archant)

But few will be quite as nervous as the 35-year-old presenter's mother Christine, who will be in the studio cheering on her daughter this Saturday night.

• Click here to download our Vote Caroline poster and tweet a picture to @edp24 with #VoteCaroline.

Caroline made the semi-finals at the weekend, topping the leaderboard for the third consecutive week and receiving the first 'perfect 40' of the series from the judges.

Performances with dance partner Pasha Kovalev mean the bookmakers have installed her as their favourite to clinch the trophy.

But mum Mrs Flack, who lives in East Harling and works for Archant Norfolk, said whether her daughter wins or not, being in the competition has been a remarkable experience.

She said: 'She has always loved dancing, but I never would have imagined her doing ballroom dancing. When the opportunity came up she said to me 'should I do this?' and I said it would be fabulous.

'The first two weeks were so hard. She said her legs and her feet were aching, but she loves it now. I was talking to her this week and she said she never wanted this week to end.'

Caroline's family have been to London and Blackpool to cheer on her daughter and will be in the audience again for Saturday's climax.

Mrs Flack said: 'I just don't know what will happen. A lot of it is about the public opinion and, hand on heart, it doesn't matter if she wins.

I'll be nervous and if she does win it would be a bonus, but just to be in the final is a prize in itself.'

Mrs Flack thanked Norfolk for getting behind Caroline's dancing exploits. She said: 'People in the village have been saying to me they didn't realise she was my daughter.

'Although she's done things like [Saturday morning children's show] TMi before, the thing with Strictly is that everyone watches it. It's just so popular.'

The final will pit Caroline, who attended Great Hockham Primary School and Wayland High School in Watton up against pop star Frankie Bridge and Kevin Clifton, reality television personality Mark Wright and Karen Hauer, and pop star Simon Webbe and Kristina Rhianoff.

• How are you backing Caroline? Email polly.grice@archant.co.uk