Strictly Come Dancing Winners Crowned in Spectacular Grand Finale
This piece covers the result of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final.
Ex- Lioness Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly champion, emerging as the first professional soccer player to win the glitterball trophy.
She overcame Love Islander Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the public vote in Saturday's grand finale.
Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "This is incredible, it's been the greatest honour," before saying she was "overwhelmed".
It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the last time - with the Queen among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts.
In a note read out by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and sheer joy" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, stating: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly brilliant".
Following tradition, one of the dances in the final show was selected by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a freestyle routine.
The judges gave guidance scores but the viewing audience made the ultimate choice.
Carney and Gu executed dances including a show dance 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 duo faced stiff competition from the other competing couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to grace the stage.
The couple delivered dances including a show dance to 'Rain On Me' by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, a Paso Doble to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a jive to 'Proud Mary'.
In another performance, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr reprised their Paso Doble 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 won the public vote.
"My sincere thanks go to everybody that has supported our experience, and supported us," said Carney.
Gu told her she had "been transformative," adding: "To the young people watching at home, dream big and be proud and never give up."
Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the cast of 2025 returning for one more performance.
However, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the vote that saw him leave the show was unfair.
A spokesperson denied the claim, saying the show's audience vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy".
The group Five also performed a selection of their popular songs during the finale.
The Hosts' Last Final
In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise revelation that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's series.
Daly has presented since the inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman joined in 2014, having hosted Strictly's companion program It Takes Two since 2004.
This was their final time presenting a Strictly final, and both were full of feeling as they signed off.
During the televised event, as well as the message from the Queen, there were recorded notes from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the production team and devotees of the show.
The Queen's message said: "It has often seemed to me that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about relationships: the bonds forged, the struggles conquered and the joy experienced in undertaking a shared endeavour.
"Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly partnership of all.
"The warmth, compassion and pure happiness you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal."
Daly and Winkleman's final show will be the Christmas special, which is broadcast on 25 December.
