Good evening ladies and gentleman and welcome to our final NSC HD WHC XI show. I'm joined here in the studio by a jubilant hippo. It's been quite the tournament for the big lad. From the first knockout round he simply sailed through against the Salt Water Crocodile and never looked back. His closest match up was against the feisty Grasshopper Mouse and then... then the final when he simply dismantled the Honey Badger. In the end the defending champion simply had no answer to the Hippo's brute force and sheer bloody mindedness. He was definitely the stand out performer in this year's tournament and it would be a hard soul indeed that would deny him his place among the WHC greats.
So... Hippo. How are you feeling right now?
Over the moon Chris. Just delighted. I always believed I had the game to go all the way but it's another thing entirely to put it together through five matches. They're all great competitors. Nobody's there by accident.
Well, the Basset Hound might be.
Oooh, harsh! I know the Basset Hound and he's a lovely lad. I hope we'll meet up soon.
So you've a lot of time for the other creatures?
Oh yeah, yeah. Of course. You've got to have respect. We're all there for the same thing and the second you start thinking anybody's in some way less than you then you've let your guard down. You can't be a winner that way.
So what will you do now?
It literally hasn't sunk in yet. I'm sure it will start to make some sort of sense in the morning but now? I just don't know. A good night down at the river I hope. I'm looking forward to just getting back to the family. They've put up with a lot just for me to be here tonight and I owe them everything.
We'll be seeing you again in 2019?
Just try and stop me.
Any last thoughts for the Honey Badger?
Chin up HB. You were a great champ and pushed me really hard. The poor thing's hurting right now. Anybody that says he don't care doesn't know what they're on about. You don't get to beat up a Great White on a whim. I reckon he'll be back in training in days.
Hippo. Thanks so much for joining us this evening. All that remains now is the presentation. On behalf of all at WHC XI I'd like to present you this handsome trophy and prize money of a truckload of grass. Plain old green grass. Ladies and gentleman, I give you... the Hippo.
Thanks Chris. Thanks everybody.
Well that just about wraps up our WHC coverage for 2018. Thanks to everybody that joined us along the way. We'd like to apologise for those bumps in the road along the way. The poll free votes, the botched draw, Weekend Gate. We'll be back in 2019 so bad luck to all you curmudgeons. We'll be in touch to see if there's anything we can do to spice up WHC XII a little but goodbye for now and see you all next year.