Strictly Come Dancing Winners Crowned in Glitzy Grand Final
This piece covers the outcome of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final.
Ex- England footballer Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly Come Dancing winner, emerging as the first professional soccer player to claim the glitterball trophy.
She beat Love Islander Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the audience vote in Saturday's grand finale.
Carney, who was paired with pro partner Carlos Gu, stated: "This is incredible, it's been the biggest privilege," before adding she was "lost for words".
It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the last time - with the Queen among those offering praise to the long-running hosts.
In a message 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, adding: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous".
Following tradition, 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 guidance scores but the public made the final decision.
Carney and Gu performed routines 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, garnering them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night.
But the winning pair faced strong competition from the other competing couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the stage.
The pair performed routines including a show dance to 'Rain On Me' by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, a Spanish-inspired dance to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a jive to 'Proud Mary'.
In another performance, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr performed again 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 tangos, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the public vote.
"My sincere thanks go to everybody that has backed 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 vote that saw him leave the show was unfair.
A representative denied the claim, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy".
The group Five also performed a string of their popular songs during the finale.
The Hosts' Last Final
Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise revelation that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season.
Daly has hosted 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 final time hosting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with feeling as they signed off.
During the live broadcast, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the crew and fans of the show.
The Queen's message said: "I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about relationships: the connections created, the struggles overcome and the happiness experienced in undertaking a shared endeavour.
"If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly pairing of all.
"The kindness, compassion and sheer happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal."
Daly and Winkleman's final appearance will be the holiday episode, which is broadcast on 25 December.
