Strictly Champions Announced in Spectacular Live Final

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

Former England footballer Karen Carney has been declared this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first professional soccer player to claim the coveted trophy.

She overcame Love Islander Amber Davies and online influencer George Clarke after securing the public vote in Saturday's grand finale.

Carney, who was paired with pro partner Carlos Gu, remarked: "I can't believe it, it's been the greatest privilege," before saying she was "overwhelmed".

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

In a message presented by judge Craig Revel Horwood, the Queen said Daly and Winkleman's "kindness, 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 brilliant".

Following tradition, one of the dances in the final show was chosen 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 public made the ultimate choice.

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, garnering them a rapturous reception - and their second perfect score of the night.

But the winning pair faced strong competition from the other remaining couples.

Amber Davies and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were the first to take to the stage.

The couple delivered 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'.

In another performance, George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr performed again their dramatic dance to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle.

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

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

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

Gu told her she had "been transformative," commenting: "To the young people watching at home, aim high and be confident and never give up."

Other memorable moments on the night included most of the cast 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 exit the show was unfair.

A representative rejected the allegation, saying the show's public vote was "independently overseen and checked to ensure complete fairness".

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

Tess and Claudia's Final Show

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

Daly has presented since the inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman joined in 2014, having fronted Strictly's sister show It Takes Two since 2004.

This was their final time hosting a Strictly final, and both were full of feeling as they said their goodbyes.

During the live broadcast, as well as the message from the Queen, there were recorded notes from TV cook Mary Berry, members of the crew 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 friendships: the bonds created, the struggles conquered and the joy experienced in undertaking a shared challenge.

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

"The warmth, care and pure happiness you have projected with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's appeal."

Daly and Winkleman's final appearance will be the holiday episode, which is broadcast on 25 December.