Strictly Come Dancing Champions Crowned in Spectacular Grand Final
This report details the result of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final.
Ex- England footballer Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly winner, emerging as the first professional soccer player to claim the coveted trophy.
She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after securing the public vote in Saturday's live final.
Carney, who was paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu, said: "This is incredible, it's been the biggest honour," before adding she was "overwhelmed".
It was an emotional night in the ballroom, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts.
In a note presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "kindness, empathy and pure joy" had been at the heart of the show's success, adding: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly wonderful".
Following tradition, one of the dances in the final show was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.
The judges gave advisory scores but the viewing audience made the final decision.
Carney and Gu performed dances including a freestyle to 'Inner Smile' by Texas, and an tango to 'Red Right Hand' by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
They also performed a sports-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, garnering them a standing ovation - and their second full marks of the night.
But the winning pair faced strong rivalry from the other remaining couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial to grace the dance floor.
The couple performed routines including a freestyle to 'Rain On Me' by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, a Spanish-inspired dance to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a upbeat dance to 'Proud Mary'.
In another performance, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr revisited their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle.
They also did their show dance to 'Human' by The Killers, and a classical waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen.
But after weeks of ballroom dances, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the public vote.
"I just want to say thank you to everybody that has backed our experience, and supported us," said Carney.
Gu told her she had "been transformative," commenting: "To the girls and boys watching at home, dream big and be confident and never give up."
Other memorable moments on the night included most of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance.
However, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had alleged earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was unfair.
A spokesperson denied the allegation, saying the show's audience vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure complete fairness".
The group Five also performed a selection of their hits during the finale.
The Hosts' Final Show
Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season.
Daly has presented since the inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having hosted Strictly's companion program It Takes Two since 2004.
This was their last time hosting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with feeling as they said their goodbyes.
During the televised event, as well as the message from the Queen, there were messages from TV cook Mary Berry, members of the crew and fans of the show.
The Queen's message read: "It has often seemed to me that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about friendships: the connections forged, the challenges overcome and the joy experienced in undertaking a shared endeavour.
"Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly partnership of all.
"The warmth, compassion and sheer joy you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal."
Daly and Winkleman's last ever appearance will be the holiday episode, which is broadcast on 25 December.
