Strictly Come Dancing Winners Announced in Spectacular Live Final

This piece covers the conclusion of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final.

Ex- Lioness Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly champion, becoming the first footballer to win the glitterball trophy.

She overcame Love Islander Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after winning the public vote in Saturday's live final.

Carney, who was paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "It's unbelievable, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "overwhelmed".

It was an poignant night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those paying tribute to the veteran hosts.

In a note read out by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion and sheer happiness" had been at the heart of the show's success, stating: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous".

Following tradition, one of the dances in the grand finale was chosen 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 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 football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, garnering them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night.

But the victorious duo faced fierce competition from the other remaining couples.

Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to grace the dance floor.

The couple 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 upbeat dance 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 won the viewer poll.

"I just want to say thank you to everybody that has backed our journey, and supported us," said Carney.

Gu told her she had "changed my life," 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 cast of 2025 coming back for one more performance.

However, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him exit the show was unfair.

A spokesperson rejected the allegation, saying the show's audience vote was "externally monitored and verified to ensure complete accuracy".

The group Five also performed a selection of their hits during the grand final.

The Hosts' Last Final

In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise revelation that they would be leaving their roles at the end of this year's series.

Daly has hosted 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 celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the crew and devotees 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 bonds created, the struggles overcome and the joy experienced in undertaking a shared endeavour.

"If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the most significant Strictly partnership of all.

"The kindness, compassion and pure joy you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal."

Daly and Winkleman's last ever appearance will be the Christmas special, which is broadcast on 25 December.