🔗 Share this article Strictly Come Dancing Champions Announced in Spectacular Grand Final This report details the outcome of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final. View: Scene Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winners are crowned Former Lioness Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly champion, emerging as the first footballer to win the glitterball trophy. She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the viewers' vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was dancing with pro partner Carlos Gu, said: "It's unbelievable, it's been the greatest honour," before saying 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 Queen Camilla among those paying tribute to the veteran hosts. Hosts Tess and Claudia say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing In a message presented by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion and pure joy" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, stating: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly wonderful". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their soccer-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a standing ovation. 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 freestyle routine. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the ultimate choice. Carney and Gu executed 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, earning them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the first couple to step onto the stage in the final. But the victorious duo faced stiff rivalry from the other remaining couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to grace the dance floor. The couple 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 jive to 'Proud Mary'. Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr performed again their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. They also did their show dance 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 won the public vote. "I just want to say thank you to everybody that has backed our journey, and supported us," said Carney. Gu told her she had "changed my life," adding: "To the girls and boys watching at home, aim high and be confident and never give up." Influencer George Clarke and Alexis Warr opted to revisit their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the cast of 2025 coming back for one more routine. However, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had alleged earlier that the vote that saw him exit the show was unfair. A representative rejected the claim, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure total accuracy". The group Five also performed a string of their hits during the grand final. The Hosts' Last Show An image from the historic final presentation 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 first series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having fronted Strictly's sister show 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 live broadcast, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the production team and fans 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 created, the struggles overcome and the happiness experienced in undertaking a joint challenge. "Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly partnership of all. "The warmth, care and sheer joy you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's success." Daly and Winkleman's last ever appearance will be the holiday episode, which airs on 25 December.
This report details the outcome of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final. View: Scene Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winners are crowned Former Lioness Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly champion, emerging as the first footballer to win the glitterball trophy. She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the viewers' vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was dancing with pro partner Carlos Gu, said: "It's unbelievable, it's been the greatest honour," before saying 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 Queen Camilla among those paying tribute to the veteran hosts. Hosts Tess and Claudia say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing In a message presented by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion and pure joy" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, stating: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly wonderful". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their soccer-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a standing ovation. 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 freestyle routine. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the ultimate choice. Carney and Gu executed 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, earning them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the first couple to step onto the stage in the final. But the victorious duo faced stiff rivalry from the other remaining couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to grace the dance floor. The couple 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 jive to 'Proud Mary'. Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr performed again their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. They also did their show dance 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 won the public vote. "I just want to say thank you to everybody that has backed our journey, and supported us," said Carney. Gu told her she had "changed my life," adding: "To the girls and boys watching at home, aim high and be confident and never give up." Influencer George Clarke and Alexis Warr opted to revisit their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the cast of 2025 coming back for one more routine. However, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had alleged earlier that the vote that saw him exit the show was unfair. A representative rejected the claim, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure total accuracy". The group Five also performed a string of their hits during the grand final. The Hosts' Last Show An image from the historic final presentation 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 first series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having fronted Strictly's sister show 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 live broadcast, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the production team and fans 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 created, the struggles overcome and the happiness experienced in undertaking a joint challenge. "Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly partnership of all. "The warmth, care and sheer joy you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's success." Daly and Winkleman's last ever appearance will be the holiday episode, which airs on 25 December.