Strictly Come Dancing Champions Announced 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 pro partner Carlos Gu, said: "This is incredible, it's been the biggest honour," before adding she was "lost for words".

It was an poignant night in the studio, as presenters 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 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: "I think I speak for everyone when I say you have been utterly brilliant".

Following tradition, one of the dances in the grand finale was chosen by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.

The judges gave advisory scores but the viewing audience made the ultimate choice.

Carney and Gu performed 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 sports-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, earning them a standing ovation - and their second full marks of the night.

But the victorious pair faced strong 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 Paso Doble to 'Dream On' by Aerosmith, and a jive to 'Proud Mary'.

Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr revisited their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle.

They also did their freestyle routine 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 public vote.

"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," adding: "To the girls and boys watching at home, dream big 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 routine.

Yet, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had alleged earlier that the vote that saw him leave the show was rigged.

A spokesperson rejected the allegation, saying the show's audience vote was "independently overseen and verified to ensure total fairness".

The boyband Five also performed a string of their popular songs during the grand final.

The Hosts' Last Final

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 inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman joined in 2014, having fronted Strictly's companion program It Takes Two since 2004.

This was their final 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: "I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about relationships: the bonds forged, the struggles overcome and the happiness experienced in undertaking a joint challenge.

"Should that be the case, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly pairing of all.

"The kindness, care and sheer happiness you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal."

Daly and Winkleman's final show will be the Christmas special, which is broadcast on 25 December.