🔗 Share this article Strictly Winners Crowned in Glitzy Grand Finale This piece covers the outcome of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing culminating event. View: Scene Strictly 2025 winners are declared Former Lioness Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first professional soccer player to win the glitterball trophy. She overcame Love Islander Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the public vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, said: "This is incredible, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "lost for words". It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with Queen Camilla among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts. Hosts Tess and Claudia bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing In a note read out by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "kindness, compassion and sheer happiness" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, 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. Following tradition, one of the dances in the final show 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 viewing audience made the final decision. Carney and Gu executed routines 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. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the opening couple to take to the stage in the final. But the winning pair faced stiff 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 show dance 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'. In another performance, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr performed again 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 tangos, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the public vote. "My sincere thanks go to everybody that has backed our journey, and supported us," said Carney. Gu told her she had "changed my life," adding: "To the young people watching at home, dream big and be confident and never give up." Social media star George Clarke and Alexis Warr opted to revisit their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other highlights on the night included the majority 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 unfair. A representative denied the allegation, saying the show's public vote was "externally monitored and verified to ensure complete fairness". The boyband Five also performed a selection of their popular songs during the grand final. The Hosts' Last Final An image from the emotional 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 presented since the first series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having hosted Strictly's companion program 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 messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the production team and devotees 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 bonds forged, the challenges conquered and the happiness shared in undertaking a joint challenge. "If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly pairing of all. "The warmth, compassion and pure 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 Christmas special, which airs on 25 December.
This piece covers the outcome of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing culminating event. View: Scene Strictly 2025 winners are declared Former Lioness Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first professional soccer player to win the glitterball trophy. She overcame Love Islander Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the public vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, said: "This is incredible, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "lost for words". It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with Queen Camilla among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts. Hosts Tess and Claudia bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing In a note read out by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "kindness, compassion and sheer happiness" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, 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. Following tradition, one of the dances in the final show 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 viewing audience made the final decision. Carney and Gu executed routines 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. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the opening couple to take to the stage in the final. But the winning pair faced stiff 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 show dance 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'. In another performance, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr performed again 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 tangos, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the public vote. "My sincere thanks go to everybody that has backed our journey, and supported us," said Carney. Gu told her she had "changed my life," adding: "To the young people watching at home, dream big and be confident and never give up." Social media star George Clarke and Alexis Warr opted to revisit their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other highlights on the night included the majority 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 unfair. A representative denied the allegation, saying the show's public vote was "externally monitored and verified to ensure complete fairness". The boyband Five also performed a selection of their popular songs during the grand final. The Hosts' Last Final An image from the emotional 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 presented since the first series 21 years ago. Winkleman came on board in 2014, having hosted Strictly's companion program 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 messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the production team and devotees 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 bonds forged, the challenges conquered and the happiness shared in undertaking a joint challenge. "If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly pairing of all. "The warmth, compassion and pure 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 Christmas special, which airs on 25 December.