🔗 Share this article Strictly Come Dancing Winners Announced in Glitzy Live Final This article reveals the conclusion of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final. Watch: Moment Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winners are crowned Ex- England footballer Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, becoming the first footballer to claim the coveted trophy. She defeated reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the audience vote in Saturday's grand finale. Carney, who was paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "This is incredible, it's been the biggest privilege," before adding she was "speechless". It was an poignant night in the studio, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the last time - with the Queen among those offering praise to the veteran hosts. Hosts Tess and Claudia say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing In a message presented by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and sheer happiness" 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". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their soccer-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a rapturous applause. As usual, one of the dances in the grand finale was selected by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the series, and the other was a freestyle routine. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the ultimate choice. Carney and Gu performed dances including a freestyle 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 full marks of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the first couple to take to the dance floor in the final. But the winning duo faced stiff competition from the other competing couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the dance floor. The pair performed dances 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 Paso Doble 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 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, dream big and be confident and never give up." Influencer George Clarke and Alexis Warr chose to repeat their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other highlights on the night included most of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more routine. Yet, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was unfair. A representative denied the claim, saying the show's audience vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure complete fairness". The boyband Five also performed a string of their hits during the finale. The Hosts' Last Show A photo from the emotional final presentation by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the shock 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 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 live broadcast, as well as the message 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 created, the struggles conquered and the happiness shared 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 radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal." Daly and Winkleman's last ever show will be the holiday episode, which is broadcast on 25 December.
This article reveals the conclusion of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final. Watch: Moment Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winners are crowned Ex- England footballer Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, becoming the first footballer to claim the coveted trophy. She defeated reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the audience vote in Saturday's grand finale. Carney, who was paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "This is incredible, it's been the biggest privilege," before adding she was "speechless". It was an poignant night in the studio, as hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the final for the last time - with the Queen among those offering praise to the veteran hosts. Hosts Tess and Claudia say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing In a message presented by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and sheer happiness" 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". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the championship trophy - their soccer-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a rapturous applause. As usual, one of the dances in the grand finale was selected by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the series, and the other was a freestyle routine. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the ultimate choice. Carney and Gu performed dances including a freestyle 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 full marks of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the first couple to take to the dance floor in the final. But the winning duo faced stiff competition from the other competing couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the dance floor. The pair performed dances 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 Paso Doble 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 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, dream big and be confident and never give up." Influencer George Clarke and Alexis Warr chose to repeat their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other highlights on the night included most of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more routine. Yet, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was unfair. A representative denied the claim, saying the show's audience vote was "externally monitored and checked to ensure complete fairness". The boyband Five also performed a string of their hits during the finale. The Hosts' Last Show A photo from the emotional final presentation by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Earlier this year, Daly and Winkleman made the shock 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 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 live broadcast, as well as the message 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 created, the struggles conquered and the happiness shared 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 radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal." Daly and Winkleman's last ever show will be the holiday episode, which is broadcast on 25 December.