Karen Carney and professional dancer Carlos Gu claimed the Strictly Come Dancing championship on Saturday night, marking a historic victory as Carney became the first footballer to lift the Glitterball trophy and Gu the first gay and Asian man to win the title.
The emotional finale also served as the final live show for beloved hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman after 21 years on the program.
The 38-year-old ex-footballer scored 117 points from three performances and expressed disbelief at her victory. "I cannot believe it. I just wanna say thank you to everybody that's supported our journey, supported us, and, thank you to this wonderful gentleman [Carlos]," Carney said during the finale. "We are a team, and, I could not have done this without you, but honestly, I can't believe it, it's been the biggest privilege and honour [...]"
The celebration came amid ratings concerns. The final drew a peak audience of 8.4 million viewers, down from 9.3 million in 2024 and 9.7 million in 2023 – marking the fourth consecutive year of declining viewership.
Royal Tribute and Emotional Farewells
The finale featured a special tribute to departing hosts Daly and Winkleman, including a letter from Queen Camilla read by judge Craig Revel Horwood. "Tess and Claudia, as you prepare to take your final twirl, I just want to say thank you on behalf of the millions who watch you each week," the Queen wrote. "[...] The warmth, compassion, and sheer happiness you have radiated with and from each other has been at the heart of the show's success."
Both hosts were visibly emotional. Daly later posted on Instagram that the show was "made with love" where "joy is the currency and the only agenda", expressing gratitude for her "unforgettable years".
Vote Rigging Allegations
Hours before the final, Thomas Skinner, the 34-year-old first celebrity eliminated from the series, alleged vote rigging on social media. "On the night I left the show, I received an anonymous email claiming to be from a BBC exec with stats, saying I'd received far more votes than it appeared and it wasn't right. I've since had the email independently verified," Skinner posted on X.
A BBC spokesperson firmly rejected the claims. "Strictly Come Dancing's public vote is independently overseen and verified to ensure complete accuracy every week. Any claims to the contrary are entirely without foundation," the spokesperson said, noting that Skinner had not shared the referenced email with the BBC.
PromoVeritas, which oversees vote verification, confirmed that "All votes are independently and comprehensively verified by two auditors" and reported "no issues with the public vote or how it is being represented in the final results".
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
