Strictly Winners Announced in Glitzy Grand Final
This piece covers the outcome of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final.
Former Lioness Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, becoming the first professional soccer player to claim the coveted trophy.
She defeated Love Islander Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after securing the public vote in Saturday's live final.
Carney, who was paired with pro partner Carlos Gu, stated: "I can't believe it, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "overwhelmed".
It was an emotional night in the studio, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the final occasion - with Queen Camilla among those offering praise to the veteran hosts.
In a message presented by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion and sheer joy" had been at the core of the show's popularity, adding: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous".
As usual, one of the dances in the grand finale was selected by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the competition, and the other was a show dance.
The judges gave advisory scores but the viewing audience made the final decision.
Carney and Gu performed routines including a show dance to 'Inner Smile' by Texas, and an Argentine 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 rapturous reception - and their second perfect score of the night.
But the winning duo faced fierce rivalry from the other remaining couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the initial 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 revisited 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 salsas and foxtrots, 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 "been transformative," commenting: "To the girls and boys watching at home, aim high and be confident and never give up."
Other highlights on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance.
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 spokesperson rejected the allegation, saying the show's audience vote was "independently overseen and checked to ensure total fairness".
The group Five also performed a selection of their popular songs during the finale.
The Hosts' Last Show
In October, Daly and Winkleman made the shock announcement 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 sister show It Takes Two since 2004.
This was their final time presenting a Strictly final, and both were full of emotion as they signed off.
During the televised event, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were recorded notes from TV cook Mary Berry, members of the production team 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 friendships: the connections forged, the challenges overcome and the joy shared in undertaking a joint endeavour.
"If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly pairing of all.
"The warmth, compassion and pure happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's success."
Daly and Winkleman's final appearance will be the holiday episode, which airs on 25 December.
