Strictly Champions Announced in Spectacular Grand Finale

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

Ex- England footballer Karen Carney has been named this year's Strictly Come Dancing champion, emerging as the first footballer to lift the coveted trophy.

She beat Love Islander Amber Davies and social media star George Clarke after winning the viewers' 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 saying she was "overwhelmed".

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

In a message 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 popularity, 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 selected by the judges, one was their own favourite 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 executed routines including a freestyle to 'Inner Smile' by Texas, and an 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 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 initial to grace the stage.

The pair delivered 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'.

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 show dance to 'Human' by The Killers, and a Viennese Waltz to 'Somebody to Love' by Queen.

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

"I just want to say thank you to everybody that has supported our journey, 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 confident and never give up."

Other memorable moments on the night included most of the contestants of 2025 returning 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 unfair.

A representative denied the allegation, saying the show's audience vote was "externally monitored and verified to ensure complete fairness".

The group Five also performed a string of their hits during the grand final.

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 presented since the inaugural series 21 years ago. Winkleman joined in 2014, having fronted Strictly's companion program 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 live broadcast, as well as the tribute from the Queen, there were messages from celebrity chef Mary Berry, members of the crew and fans of the show.

The Queen's message said: "I have often thought that Strictly is not so much a show about dancing as about friendships: the bonds forged, the challenges overcome and the happiness experienced in undertaking a shared endeavour.

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

"The warmth, compassion and pure joy you have projected with and from each other has been at the centre of the show's appeal."

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