Strictly Come Dancing Winners Crowned in Spectacular Grand Final
This piece covers the outcome of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final.
Former England footballer Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, becoming the first footballer to claim the coveted trophy.
She defeated reality TV star Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after securing the public vote in Saturday's live final.
Carney, who was dancing with pro partner Carlos Gu, remarked: "This is incredible, it's been the biggest honour," before saying she was "lost for words".
It was an emotional night in the ballroom, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with Queen Camilla among those paying tribute to the veteran hosts.
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 core of the show's success, stating: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous".
Following tradition, one of the dances in the grand finale was chosen by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.
The judges gave guidance scores but the public made the ultimate choice.
Carney and Gu executed routines including a freestyle to 'Inner Smile' by Texas, and an Argentine 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 perfect score of the night.
But the winning pair faced fierce rivalry from the other competing couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial to grace the stage.
The pair performed routines including a freestyle to 'Rain On Me' by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, a Paso Doble to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a upbeat dance to 'Proud Mary'.
Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr revisited their Paso Doble 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 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 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."
Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance.
Yet, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was rigged.
A representative rejected the claim, saying the show's public vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure total accuracy".
The group Five also performed a string of their hits during the finale.
The Hosts' Last Show
Earlier this year, 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 first series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having fronted Strictly's companion program It Takes Two since 2004.
This was their final 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 messages from celebrity chef 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 bonds created, the challenges overcome and the joy experienced in undertaking a joint challenge.
"If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly pairing of all.
"The warmth, care and sheer joy you have projected with and from each other has been at the centre of the show's success."
Daly and Winkleman's final show will be the Christmas special, which airs on 25 December.
