🔗 Share this article Strictly Winners Crowned in Glitzy Grand Final This piece covers the result of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final. Watch: Scene Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winners are declared Former Lioness Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly winner, becoming the first professional soccer player to claim the glitterball trophy. She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the viewers' vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was dancing with pro partner Carlos Gu, remarked: "It's unbelievable, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "speechless". It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those offering praise to the long-running hosts. Presenters Tess and Claudia bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing In a note presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion and sheer joy" had been at the heart of the show's success, stating: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their soccer-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a rapturous applause. As usual, one of the dances in the final show was chosen by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the competition, and the other was a show dance. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the final decision. Carney and Gu executed 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 football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, earning them a rapturous reception - and their second perfect score of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the opening couple to take to the stage in the final. But the winning pair faced strong rivalry from the other remaining couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial to take to the dance floor. The pair delivered routines including a freestyle to 'Rain On Me' by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, a Paso Doble to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a jive to 'Proud Mary'. Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr reprised their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. They also did their freestyle routine to 'Human' by The Killers, and a Viennese Waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen. But after weeks of salsas and foxtrots, it was Carney and Gu's night as they won the viewer poll. "My sincere thanks go to everybody that has supported our experience, and supported us," said Carney. Gu told her she had "changed my life," commenting: "To the young people watching at home, dream big and be proud and never give up." Influencer George Clarke and Alexis Warr chose to repeat their favourite dance from the series, a powerful routine to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included most of the cast of 2025 coming back for one more routine. Yet, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was rigged. A spokesperson denied the claim, saying the show's audience vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure total fairness". The boyband Five also performed a selection of their hits during the grand final. The Hosts' Last Show An image from the historic final hosting by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be leaving their roles at the end of this year's series. Daly has hosted since the inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having hosted Strictly's sister show It Takes Two since 2004. This was their last time presenting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with feeling as they signed off. During the televised event, as well as the message from the Queen, there were recorded notes from TV cook Mary Berry, members of the production team and fans of the show. The Queen's message read: "I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about relationships: the bonds forged, the challenges conquered and the joy shared in undertaking a shared challenge. "Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly partnership of all. "The warmth, compassion and sheer happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the centre of the show's success." Daly and Winkleman's final appearance will be the holiday episode, which airs on 25 December.
This piece covers the result of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final. Watch: Scene Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winners are declared Former Lioness Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly winner, becoming the first professional soccer player to claim the glitterball trophy. She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the viewers' vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was dancing with pro partner Carlos Gu, remarked: "It's unbelievable, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "speechless". It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those offering praise to the long-running hosts. Presenters Tess and Claudia bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing In a note presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion and sheer joy" had been at the heart of the show's success, stating: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their soccer-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a rapturous applause. As usual, one of the dances in the final show was chosen by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the competition, and the other was a show dance. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the final decision. Carney and Gu executed 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 football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, earning them a rapturous reception - and their second perfect score of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the opening couple to take to the stage in the final. But the winning pair faced strong rivalry from the other remaining couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial to take to the dance floor. The pair delivered routines including a freestyle to 'Rain On Me' by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, a Paso Doble to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a jive to 'Proud Mary'. Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr reprised their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. They also did their freestyle routine to 'Human' by The Killers, and a Viennese Waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen. But after weeks of salsas and foxtrots, it was Carney and Gu's night as they won the viewer poll. "My sincere thanks go to everybody that has supported our experience, and supported us," said Carney. Gu told her she had "changed my life," commenting: "To the young people watching at home, dream big and be proud and never give up." Influencer George Clarke and Alexis Warr chose to repeat their favourite dance from the series, a powerful routine to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included most of the cast of 2025 coming back for one more routine. Yet, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was rigged. A spokesperson denied the claim, saying the show's audience vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure total fairness". The boyband Five also performed a selection of their hits during the grand final. The Hosts' Last Show An image from the historic final hosting by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be leaving their roles at the end of this year's series. Daly has hosted since the inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having hosted Strictly's sister show It Takes Two since 2004. This was their last time presenting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with feeling as they signed off. During the televised event, as well as the message from the Queen, there were recorded notes from TV cook Mary Berry, members of the production team and fans of the show. The Queen's message read: "I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about relationships: the bonds forged, the challenges conquered and the joy shared in undertaking a shared challenge. "Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly partnership of all. "The warmth, compassion and sheer happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the centre of the show's success." Daly and Winkleman's final appearance will be the holiday episode, which airs on 25 December.