Strictly Champions Announced in Glitzy Grand Final
This piece covers the conclusion of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final.
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 securing the public vote in Saturday's grand finale.
Carney, who was paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu, stated: "I can't believe it, it's been the biggest honour," before saying she was "speechless".
It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the last time - with the Queen among those paying tribute to the long-running hosts.
In a note presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "kindness, empathy and pure joy" had been at the core of the show's success, adding: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous".
As usual, one of the dances in the grand finale was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite 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 dances 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, garnering them a rapturous reception - and their second perfect score of the night.
But the victorious duo faced strong rivalry from the other remaining couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to grace the dance floor.
The pair delivered dances including a freestyle 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 reprised their Paso Doble 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 ballroom dances, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the viewer poll.
"My sincere thanks go to everybody that has backed our journey, 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."
Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more routine.
Yet, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had claimed earlier that the vote that saw him leave the show was rigged.
A spokesperson rejected the claim, saying the show's public vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure total accuracy".
The boyband Five also performed a string of their popular songs during the finale.
The Hosts' Final Show
Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise revelation 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 fronted Strictly's companion program It Takes Two since 2004.
This was their last time hosting 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 crew and fans of the show.
The Queen's message read: "It has often seemed to me that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about friendships: the bonds created, the struggles overcome and the joy experienced in undertaking a shared challenge.
"Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly partnership of all.
"The kindness, compassion and pure happiness you have radiated 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.
