Strictly Come Dancing Winners Crowned in Glitzy Live Finale
This piece covers the conclusion of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 championship.
Ex- England footballer Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first professional soccer player to win the coveted trophy.
She defeated Love Islander Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the audience vote in Saturday's live final.
Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "This is incredible, it's been the greatest privilege," before saying she was "speechless".
It was an heartfelt night in the ballroom, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those paying tribute to the veteran hosts.
In a note presented by judge 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 brilliant".
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 advisory scores but the viewing audience made the ultimate choice.
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 sports-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, garnering them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night.
But the victorious pair faced fierce competition from the other remaining couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the stage.
The pair delivered 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 upbeat dance to 'Proud Mary'.
Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr reprised their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle.
They also did their show dance to 'Human' by The Killers, and a classical waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen.
But after weeks of tangos, it was Carney and Gu's night as they won the viewer poll.
"I just want to say thank you to everybody that has supported our experience, and supported us," said Carney.
Gu told her she had "been transformative," commenting: "To the young people watching at home, aim high and be proud and never give up."
Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 returning for one more routine.
However, online figure Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had claimed earlier that the vote that saw him leave the show was unfair.
A spokesperson rejected the claim, saying the show's public vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure total fairness".
The boyband Five also performed a string of their popular songs during the finale.
The Hosts' Last Show
In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise revelation that they would be leaving their roles at the end of this year's season.
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 hosting a Strictly final, and both were full of feeling as they said their goodbyes.
During the televised event, as well as the message from the Queen, there were recorded notes from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the crew and devotees 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 friendships: the connections forged, the struggles overcome and the joy experienced in undertaking a shared challenge.
"Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly pairing of all.
"The warmth, care and sheer happiness you have projected with and from each other has been at the centre of the show's appeal."
Daly and Winkleman's final show will be the Christmas special, which airs on 25 December.
