Strictly Come Dancing Champions Crowned in Spectacular Live Finale

This piece covers the result of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing championship.

Former 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 online influencer George Clarke after securing the public vote in Saturday's grand finale.

Carney, who was dancing with pro partner Carlos Gu, stated: "This is incredible, it's been the greatest privilege," before adding she was "overwhelmed".

It was an heartfelt 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 long-running hosts.

In a note presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, compassion 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 wonderful".

Following tradition, one of the dances in the final show was selected 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 ultimate choice.

Carney and Gu performed routines 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 sports-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, garnering them a rapturous reception - and their second full marks of the night.

But the winning pair faced fierce competition 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 revisited their Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle.

They also did their freestyle routine to 'Human' by The Killers, and a Viennese Waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen.

But after weeks of tangos, it was Carney and Gu's night as they topped the viewer poll.

"My sincere thanks go to everybody that has supported our experience, and supported us," said Carney.

Gu told her she had "been transformative," commenting: "To the girls and boys watching at home, dream big and be proud 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 elimination process that saw him exit the show was rigged.

A spokesperson rejected the claim, saying the show's public vote was "externally monitored and verified to ensure complete fairness".

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 announcement that they would be stepping down 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 final time hosting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with emotion as they said their goodbyes.

During the live broadcast, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from TV cook Mary Berry, members of the production team 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 challenges conquered and the happiness shared in undertaking a shared challenge.

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

"The warmth, compassion and sheer happiness you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's success."

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