Strictly Come Dancing Winners Crowned in Glitzy Live Finale

This report details the result of the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final.

Former Lioness Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly winner, becoming the first footballer to win the coveted trophy.

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

Carney, who was dancing with professional dancer Carlos Gu, remarked: "This is incredible, it's been the greatest privilege," before saying she was "speechless".

It was an poignant night in the ballroom, as presenters Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly fronted the final for the last time - with Queen Camilla among those offering praise to the veteran hosts.

In a message presented by panelist Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "warmth, empathy and sheer joy" had been at the heart of the show's popularity, 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 selected by the judges, one was their own preferred dance from the competition, and the other was a show dance.

The judges gave advisory scores but the public made the final decision.

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 standing ovation - and their second perfect score of the night.

But the victorious pair faced strong rivalry from the other remaining couples.

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

The pair performed routines 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'.

Meanwhile, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr reprised 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 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 "been transformative," adding: "To the girls and boys watching at home, aim high 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 attend. He had claimed earlier that the elimination process that saw him leave the show was rigged.

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

The boyband Five also performed a string of their hits during the finale.

Tess and Claudia's Final Final

In October, Daly and Winkleman made the surprise revelation that they would be stepping down at the end of this year's season.

Daly has hosted since the inaugural 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 presenting a Strictly final, and both were overcome with feeling as they said their goodbyes.

During the live broadcast, as well as the message from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the production team and devotees of the show.

The Queen's message said: "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 shared challenge.

"If that is true, then perhaps yours has been the greatest Strictly pairing of all.

"The warmth, compassion and pure happiness you have radiated 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.