🔗 Share this article Strictly Champions Crowned in Glitzy Grand Finale This article reveals the result of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing championship. Watch: Scene Strictly 2025 winners are declared Former England footballer Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly champion, becoming the first footballer to win the coveted trophy. She beat reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the audience vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was paired with pro partner Carlos Gu, remarked: "I can't believe it, it's been the biggest honour," before adding she was "overwhelmed". It was an poignant night in the ballroom, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those offering praise to the veteran hosts. Presenters Tess and Claudia say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing In a note read out by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and pure happiness" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, adding: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly brilliant". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the glitterball trophy - their football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a standing ovation. As usual, 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 freestyle routine. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the ultimate choice. Carney and Gu executed 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 sports-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, earning them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the opening couple to step onto the stage in the final. But the winning duo faced fierce rivalry from the other remaining couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the dance floor. The couple performed dances including a freestyle 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 reprised their dramatic dance 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 won the viewer poll. "My sincere thanks go to everybody that has supported our journey, 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 opted to revisit their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance. However, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him exit the show was rigged. A spokesperson denied the claim, 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' Final Final An image from the historic final presentation by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season. Daly has presented since the inaugural 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 presenting a Strictly final, and both were full of emotion as they said their goodbyes. During the televised event, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the crew and devotees 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 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 pairing of all. "The kindness, care and pure joy 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 airs on 25 December.
This article reveals the result of the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing championship. Watch: Scene Strictly 2025 winners are declared Former England footballer Karen Carney has been crowned this year's Strictly champion, becoming the first footballer to win the coveted trophy. She beat reality TV star Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the audience vote in Saturday's live final. Carney, who was paired with pro partner Carlos Gu, remarked: "I can't believe it, it's been the biggest honour," before adding she was "overwhelmed". It was an poignant night in the ballroom, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the final occasion - with the Queen among those offering praise to the veteran hosts. Presenters Tess and Claudia say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing In a note read out by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and pure happiness" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, adding: "On behalf of all viewers when I say you have been utterly brilliant". Karen Carney and Carlos Gu with the glitterball trophy - their football-themed jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie earned them a standing ovation. As usual, 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 freestyle routine. The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the ultimate choice. Carney and Gu executed 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 sports-inspired jive to 'One Way Or Another' by Blondie, earning them a standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night. Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin were the opening couple to step onto the stage in the final. But the winning duo faced fierce rivalry from the other remaining couples. Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the dance floor. The couple performed dances including a freestyle 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 reprised their dramatic dance 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 won the viewer poll. "My sincere thanks go to everybody that has supported our journey, 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 opted to revisit their favourite dance from the series, a Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle. Other memorable moments on the night included the majority of the contestants of 2025 coming back for one more performance. However, online figure Thomas Skinner did not attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him exit the show was rigged. A spokesperson denied the claim, 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' Final Final An image from the historic final presentation by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise announcement that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season. Daly has presented since the inaugural 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 presenting a Strictly final, and both were full of emotion as they said their goodbyes. During the televised event, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the crew and devotees 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 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 pairing of all. "The kindness, care and pure joy 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 airs on 25 December.