Strictly Champions Announced in Spectacular Live Finale
This piece covers the outcome of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 championship.
Ex- Lioness Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly champion, emerging as the first footballer to win the glitterball trophy.
She beat reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the viewers' vote in Saturday's live final.
Carney, who was paired with professional dancer Carlos Gu, stated: "It's unbelievable, it's been the greatest honour," before adding she was "overwhelmed".
It was an heartfelt night in the studio, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the last time - with the Queen among those offering praise to the veteran hosts.
In a note presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and pure joy" had been at the core of the show's success, adding: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly fab-u-lous".
As usual, one of the dances in the final show was selected by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the series, and the other was a freestyle routine.
The judges gave guidance scores but the public made the final decision.
Carney and Gu performed dances including a show dance 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 standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night.
But the winning duo faced strong rivalry from the other remaining couples.
Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to grace the stage.
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 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 ballroom dances, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the public vote.
"My sincere thanks go to everybody that has backed our journey, and supported us," said Carney.
Gu told her she had "changed my life," adding: "To the young people watching at home, aim high and be proud and never give up."
Other highlights on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 returning for one more routine.
However, social media personality Thomas Skinner did not appear. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was rigged.
A spokesperson denied the allegation, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and checked to ensure complete fairness".
The boyband Five also performed a selection of their popular songs 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 hosted Strictly's sister show 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 celebrity chef 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 relationships: the connections forged, the challenges overcome and the joy 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 joy 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 holiday episode, which airs on 25 December.
