Strictly Come Dancing: A recap of the 2025 series
The final took place on Saturday 20th December 2025
Last updated 8 hours ago
After Karen Carney and Carlos Gu were crowned the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing winners, winning the show ahead of finalists George Clarke and Amber Davies, take a look back at the final series with Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly presenting.
When was the final?
The 2025 Strictly Come Dancing final took place on Saturday 20th December.
Who was in the final in 2025?
Three celebs made it to the 2025 final, including Karen Carney, George Clarke and Amber Davies.
Who won Strictly in 2025?
Former footballer Karen Carney was crowned the 2025 winner alongside her professional partner Carlos Gu.
When did Strictly start?
The 2025 series kicked off one week later than in 2024, with the first pre-recorded show airing on Saturday 20th September. The first live show of the series then aired on Saturday 27th September.
A glitzy trailer was released on Saturday 6th September, featuring the 2025 professional dancers and the judges.
Which celebs were on Strictly in 2025?
BBC bosses started to unveil the 2025 line-up on Monday 11th August, with Gladiator Nitro being the first name announced. The final contestant was announced as Kristian Nairn on Friday 15th August, but on Thursday 21st August, Kristian released a statement to announce he's had to withdraw from the show on medical grounds. He was later replaced with Emmerdale actor, Lewis Cope.
Just days ahead of the first live show, Dani Dyer released a statement to reveal she's been forced to pull out of the show after fracturing her ankle in training. You can read her full statement here.
On Friday 26th September, BBC bosses revealed West End star Amber Davies would replace Dani.
Following the results show on Week Four, Stefan Dennis announced he'd been forced to quit the competition after tearing his calf muscle.
Check out the full line-up below:
Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey)
Best known for: Gladiator and Team GB sprinter
Harry said: "After the Christmas Special, it was so nice I just had to do it twice! I'm so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I'm ready to give it all I've got. I'll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let's hope I'm as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track."
Alex Kingston
Best known for: Actress
Alex said: "Aaaaagghhh!!!!!!"
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Best known for: Former footballer
Jimmy said: "Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I've done before but I'm looking forward to tackling a fun challenge! Bring on a new type of footwork, with hopefully no own goals."
Balvinder Sopal
Best known for: EastEnders star
Balvinder said: "Being on Strictly is a dream that I held on to, with no proof that it would ever happen. Working on EastEnders and being a part of Strictly Come Dancing is the stuff that dreams are made of. I'm far too excited to put into words how I feel but I'm incredibly excited at the prospect of dancing across the ballroom!"
George Clark
Best known for: YouTuber, podcaster and social media
George said: "Never thought I'd say this… but I'm doing Strictly! Honestly, I've got no idea what I'm doing but I'm excited to get stuck in... and potentially fall over a fair bit."
La Voix
Best known for: Drag Queen
La Voix said: "I've performed for royalty, RuPaul and Simon Cowell, but nothing fills me with more excitement (and quite a bit of terror) than the thought of dancing in front of millions on live Saturday night TV. Strictly is a national institution and I can't wait to get started. All that's left to say is: good luck to my partner! Here's hoping they can help me go from La Voix into La Danse."
Chris Robshaw
Best known for: Former England Rugby player
Chris said: "This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets! I'm hoping to take my dad dancing to a whole new level, and my mum can't wait to drag me along to her Zumba class. Let's see if a rugby sidestep works in the Cha Cha Cha."
Ellie Goldstein
Best known for: Model and Influencer
Ellie said: "I'm absolutely over the moon to be joining the cast and pros of Strictly Come Dancing this year. It's a show I've loved watching for so long, and the chance to now be part of it feels like a dream. I know it's going to be challenging, but I'm ready to do it with the glitter and glamour and make some magic on that dancefloor. Let the Strictly journey begin!"
Thomas Skinner
Best known for: TV personality, social media star and businessman
Thomas said: "I'm beyond excited to be joining Strictly Come Dancing. I've tackled the boardroom and some big breakfasts in my time but stepping onto the dance floor under that glitter ball is next level stuff! I've never danced in my life (other than at weddings) but I'm ready to graft and of course have a laugh. Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!"
Vicky Pattison
Best known for: TV personality and reality star
Vicky said: "'I'm absolutely buzzing to be part of this year's Strictly Come Dancing lineup... but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. I am a not a natural dancer! However, it's such an amazing opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself in a completely new way and I just really hope I don't make too much of a fool of myself!"
Stefan Dennis
Best known for: Neighbours actor
Stefan said: "This is an opportunity for me to once again learn to step out of my comfort zone in the world of television. Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky."
Ross King
Best known for: Presenter, actor and writer
Ross said: "From the bright lights of Hollywood to the glittering ballroom - it's a dream come true to be part of such an iconic show. I can't wait to learn from the best, meet my fellow contestants, and, most importantly… try not to step on too many toes! Let's give this the best that I can! As my mum always said: "You'll never know till you give it a go!"
Karen Carney
Best known for: Former footballer and TV pundit
Karen said: "It really is a dream come true to be a part of this year's Strictly Come Dancing line up. I'm such a huge fan of the show and I can't believe I'm finally getting the chance to take part. I'm so excited to meet everyone and get dancing!"
Lewis Cope
Best known for: Emmerdale actor
Lewis said: "I'm so excited to be swapping the Dales for the dance floor and joining this year's Strictly Come Dancing. I've always been a fan of the show and cannot wait to get started!"
Amber Davies
Best known for: West End star and former Love Island winner
Amber said: "This has been the craziest 24 hours of my life. I've watched Strictly with my family since I was younger and to now be part of the show is a dream come true. I'm going to give it my all and I am sending Dani well wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope I do her proud."
Dani Dyer: FORCED TO WITHDRAW
Best known for: Love Island and reality star
Dani said: "Getting the opportunity to be on Strictly is the second most amazing thing I've done this year! I feel very very blessed and cannot wait to get my dancing shoes on."
Who was paired together on Strictly?
The 2025 pairings were unveiled on the pre-recorded launch show on Saturday 20th September. Check them out below:
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu: WINNER
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin: FINALIST
George Clarke and Alexis Warr: FINALIST
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon: ELIMINATED
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones: ELIMINATED
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe: ELIMINATED
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec: FORCED TO WITHDRAW
Drag Queen La Voix was forced to pull out of the competition ahead of Blackpool week. Hosts Tess and Claudia said: "As you may have heard La Voix sustained an injury meaning she can't dance in Blackpool tonight. Following further advice from our medical team, we can now confirm very sadly that she has had to withdraw from the competition."
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington: ELIMINATED
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer: ELIMINATED
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola: ELIMINATED
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley: ELIMINATED
Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell: FORCED TO WITHDRAW
After four weeks in the competition, Neighbours star Stefan Dennis announced he'd been forced to quit the competition, revealing he'd torn his calf muscle.
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova: ELIMINATED
Ross King and Jowita Przystal: ELIMINATED
Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden: ELIMINATED
Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin: FORCED TO WITHDRAW
Just days ahead of her first live performance, Dani released a statement to announce she'd had to pull out of the series after suffering a fractured ankle in training. It has now been confirmed that Amber Davies will replace her and pair with Nikita.
Who topped the leaderboard?
Week 12
The Semi-Final saw four couples take to the stage, each performing two routines. After scoring 39/40 in both dances, it was Karen Carney who topped the leaderboard, with Balvinder Sopal bottom with 70/80.
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu: (9+10+10+10 = 39) + (9+10+10+10 = 39) = 78
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin: (9+10+9+9 = 37) + (10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40) = 77
George Clarke and Alexis Warr: (8+9+9+9 = 35) + (8+9+10+10 = 37) = 72
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon: (8+9+9+9 = 35) + (8+9+9+9 = 35) = 70
Week 11
Musical week saw West End start Amber Davies score the perfect 40, whilst George Clarke, Balvinder Sopal and Lewis Cope all scored 35/40. Karen Carney found herself bottom of the leaderboard with 34/40.
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (10+10+10+10) = 40
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (8+8+9+9) = 34
Week 10
During Week 10, the remaining couples were asked to complete an Instant Dance challenge, which involved them improvising a 40-second dance to a surprise style and song. Amber and Karen both received a perfect score of 40, but Amber topped the leaderboard after gaining 4 bonus points.
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (10+10+10+10) = 40 + 4 = 44
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (9+9+9+9) = 36 +6 = 42
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (10+10+10+10) = 40 +1 = 41
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (8+8+9+9) = 34 +2 + 36
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (7+7+7+7) = 28 +5 = 33
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (4+6+6+7) = 23 +3 = 26
Week Nine
As the celebs headed to Blackpool, the pressure was off as hosts Tess and Claudia revealed that there would be NO elimination, due to La Voix having to sadly withdraw from the show due to injury.
Lewis Cope topped the leaderboard with the perfect score of 40/40.
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (10+10+10 +10) = 40
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon (8+8+8+9) = 33
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin (9+9+9+9) = 36
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu (9+10+10+10) = 39
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe (8+9+9+9) = 35
George Clarke and Alexis Warr (9+10+10+10) = 39
Week Eight
Despite topping the leaderboard in Week Seven, Vicky Pattison found herself bottom of the pack in Week Eight, with Amber Davies sitting at the top with a score of 38/40, closely followed by Lewis Cope.
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (9+10+9+10) = 38
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (9+10+9+9) = 37
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (8+9+9+9) = 35
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (7+8+9+9) = 33
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (7+8+8+8) = 31
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (6+7+8+8) = 29
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (6+7+7+7) = 27
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (6+7+7+7) = 27
Week Seven
Vicky Pattison topped the leaderboard in Week Seven, picking up a near perfect score of 39/40. It was Balvinder Sopal and La Voix who found themselves bottom of the leaderboard.
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (9+10+10+10) = 39
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (9+10+9+10) = 38
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (8+10+8+9) = 35
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (8+8+9+9) = 34
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (7+8+7+8) = 30
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer - (7+8+7+8) = 30
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (6+8+7+8) = 29
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (7+7+7+7) = 28
Week Six:
Halloween week saw Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope score the first 40 of the series, with Karen Carney not far behind him with 38. At the other end, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey only received 26 points, with Ellie Goldstein picking up 27.
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (10+10+10+10) = 40
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (9+10+9+10) = 38
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (9+9+8+9) = 35
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (7+8+8+8) = 31
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (6+7+8+8) = 29
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (7+7+7+7) = 28
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola - (6+7+7+7) = 27
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer - (6+7+6+7) = 26
Week Five:
Icons week saw some very tight scores, with favourite George Clarke finding himself at the bottom of the leaderboard. Lewis and Katya topped the leaderboard with 34/40, whilst Vicky and Kai picked up their best score so far.
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (9+9+8+8) = 34
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (8+8+8+9) = 33
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (8+8+8+9) = 33
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (7+8+8+9) = 32
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer - (6+9+7+8) = 30
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley - (7+8+7+8) = 30
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (7+7+7+7) = 28
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola - (6+8+7+7) = 28
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (7+7+7+7) = 28
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (6+7+7+8) = 28
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (6+7+6+8) = 27
Week Four:
Alex and Johannes topped the leaderboard in the fourth week with a massive 36 points, getting 10 points from Shirley.
Alex and Johannes – (8+9+10+9) = 36
Lewis and Katya – (8+9+9+8) = 34
Amber and Nikita – (8+9+8+8) = 33
Ellie and Vito – (7+8+8+8) = 31
George and Alexis – (7+8+7+8) = 30
Vicky and Kai – (7+7+7+8) = 29
Jimmy and Lauren – (6+8+7+8) = 29
Balvinder and Julian – (7+7+7+7) = 28
Karen and Carlos – (6+7+7+7) = 27
Harry and Karen – (6+7+6+7) = 26
Stefan and Dianne – (5+7+7+7) = 26
Chris and Nadiya – (4+6+7+7) = 24
La Voix and Aljaž – (3+4+2+5) = 14
Week Three:
Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope picked up the first 10 of the series, whilst Amber, Harry and George also impressed. Ross King found himself bottom of the leaderboard with 19 points. Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell didn't perform due to Stefan being ill.
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (9+10+9+9) = 37
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (8+9+9+9) = 35
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer - (8+8+8+8) = 32
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (6+8+9+8) = 31
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (7+8+7+8) = 30
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley - (7+7+6+8) = 28
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (7+7+7+7) = 28
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola - (6+7+7+7) = 27
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (7+7+6+6) = 26
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (4+7+7+ 7) = 25
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (5+7+6+7) = 25
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova - (4+6+6+6) = 22
Ross King and Jowita Przystał - (4+5+5+5) = 19
Week Two:
Alex Kingston, Balvinder Sopal and George Clarke impressed in Week Two, whilst Thomas Skinner found himself rock bottom with just 13/40. Ross King, Chris Robshaw and Stefan Dennis also scored low.
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (7+8+8+8) = 31
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (7+8+8+7) = 30
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (7+7+8+8) = 30
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (8+7+7+7) = 29
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (7+7+6+7) = 27
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer - (6+7+6+7) = 26
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley - (6+6+6+7) = 25
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (6+6+6+6) = 24
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola - (5+6+6+6) = 23
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (4+5+5+6) = 20
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (4+5+5+5) = 19
Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell - (4+4+4+5) = 17
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova - (3+4+4+5) = 16
Ross King and Jowita Przystał - (2+4+4+5) = 15
Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden - (2+3+4+4) = 13
Week One:
Former football Karen Carney shocked everybody during the first week, showing off her dancing skills with a Jive and picking up a huge score of 31/40. Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and West End Star Amber Davies also scored highly.
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu - (7+8+8+8) = 31
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones - (7+7+7+7) = 28
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley - (6+7+7+7) = 27
Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin - (7+7+7+6) = 27
La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec - (6+6+6+6) = 24
George Clarke and Alexis Warr - (6+6+6+6) = 24
Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington - (5+6+6+6) = 23
Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell - (4+6+6+6) = 22
Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe - (4+6+5+6) = 21
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer - (4+5+5+5) = 19
Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola - (4+4+4+5) = 17
Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon - (4+4+4+5) = 17
Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden - (2+4+5+5) = 16
Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova - (3+4+3+4) = 14
Ross King and Jowita Przystał - (2+3+2+3) = 10
Who was eliminated?
Week One: No elimination
Week Two: Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden
Week Three: Ross King and Jowita Przystał
Week Four: Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova
Week Five: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley
Week Six: Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola
Week Seven: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer
Week Eight: Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington
Week Nine: No elimination
Week 10: Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe
Week 11: Lewis Cope and Katya Jones
Week 12: Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon
Who hosted Strictly Come Dancing in 2025?
The lovely Tess Daly MBE and Claudia Winkleman MBE returned for the 2025 series.
After presenting the Sunday night results show for a number of years, Claudia took over Bruce Forsyth's role as co-presenter alongside Tess in 2014.
HOWEVER, the duo announced on 23rd October 2025 that they will both be leaving the show at the end of the 2025 series. You can read their statements right here.
During the 2025 Semi-Final, Tess and Claudia were both shown a special best bits of their time on Strictly, with the pair both presented with their own Glitterball Trophy.
Who were the judges on Strictly Come Dancing?
BBC bosses announced that Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse would all return for the 2025 series.
Which professional dancers were on Strictly in 2025?
BBC bosses confirmed 18 professional dancers would return for 2025 series, including Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.
On 27th July, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon were announced as the new dancers, and in early August, Gorka Marquez confirmed he wouldn't be taking part in the series as normal, due to filming for the Spanish version of the show.
On Sunday 14th September, Dianne Buswell announced she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend Joe Sugg, going on to make history by becoming the first pregnant dancer to take part in the series.
Who hosted Strictly: It Takes Two in 2025?
Strictly Come Dancing spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two has become nearly as popular as the main show since it first hit BBC Two in 2004.
After four years presenting the show, Rylan Clark confirmed in April 2023 that he'd quit his hosting role, leaving fans wondering who will replace him.
Following the news, it was later announced that 2022 contestant and Hits Radio presenter Fleur East would join Janette Manrara to host the show. Fleur and Janette then returned for the 2024 series, and they hosted the show again in 2025.