🔗 Share this article Strictly Come Dancing Winners Announced in Glitzy Grand Final This report details the outcome of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 championship. View: Scene Strictly 2025 winners are crowned Former Lioness Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first footballer to lift the coveted trophy. She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after securing the audience vote in Saturday's grand finale. Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "I can't believe it, it's been the greatest honour," before saying she was "overwhelmed". It was an emotional night in the ballroom, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the final occasion - with Queen Camilla among those offering praise to the long-running hosts. Presenters Tess and Claudia bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing In a message presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and pure happiness" 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". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a standing ovation. As usual, one of the dances in the grand finale was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the competition, and the other was a freestyle routine. 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 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 first couple to take to the stage in the final. But the winning pair faced strong competition from the other competing couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial to take to the dance floor. The pair delivered dances 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 freestyle routine to 'Human' by The Killers, and a Viennese Waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen. But after weeks of salsas and foxtrots, 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 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 confident and never give up." Social media star George Clarke and Alexis Warr chose to revisit their signature dance from the series, a powerful routine to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included most of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance. However, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had alleged earlier that the elimination process that saw him exit the show was unfair. A spokesperson denied the allegation, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure total accuracy". The group Five also performed a selection of their hits during the finale. Tess and Claudia's Last Show A photo from the emotional final hosting by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season. 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 hosting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with emotion as they signed off. During the live broadcast, 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: "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 shared in undertaking a shared endeavour. "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 final show will be the Christmas special, which is broadcast on 25 December.
This report details the outcome of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 championship. View: Scene Strictly 2025 winners are crowned Former Lioness Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first footballer to lift the coveted trophy. She overcame reality TV star Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after securing the audience vote in Saturday's grand finale. Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "I can't believe it, it's been the greatest honour," before saying she was "overwhelmed". It was an emotional night in the ballroom, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the final occasion - with Queen Camilla among those offering praise to the long-running hosts. Presenters Tess and Claudia bid farewell to Strictly Come Dancing In a message presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and pure happiness" 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". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a standing ovation. As usual, one of the dances in the grand finale was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the competition, and the other was a freestyle routine. 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 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 first couple to take to the stage in the final. But the winning pair faced strong competition from the other competing couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial to take to the dance floor. The pair delivered dances 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 freestyle routine to 'Human' by The Killers, and a Viennese Waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen. But after weeks of salsas and foxtrots, 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 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 confident and never give up." Social media star George Clarke and Alexis Warr chose to revisit their signature dance from the series, a powerful routine to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included most of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance. However, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had alleged earlier that the elimination process that saw him exit the show was unfair. A spokesperson denied the allegation, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure total accuracy". The group Five also performed a selection of their hits during the finale. Tess and Claudia's Last Show A photo from the emotional final hosting by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season. 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 hosting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with emotion as they signed off. During the live broadcast, 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: "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 shared in undertaking a shared endeavour. "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 final show will be the Christmas special, which is broadcast on 25 December.