Strictly Come Dancing faces fresh blow as ratings for the final dip for the fourth year in a row – after Karen Carney and Carlos Gu were crowned champions
Stricly Come Dancing was dealt a fresh blow on Sunday when ratings for the 2025 final were announced.
In the live final, former footballer Karen Carney and her partner Carlos Gu beat George Clarke and Amber Davies to become champions.
Despite this year’s very polished line-up, it wasn’t enough to achieve the same level of viewership and the competition’s final ratings fell for the fourth consecutive year.
Last year the show peaked at 9.3 million viewers, but this year it failed to attract that many viewers, reaching only 8.4 million.
In 2023, this number was 9.7 million, indicating a consistent decline.
Last year’s average audience was 8.6 million people who watched the famous show, but this year it was 7.6 million. In 2023 it was 8.8 million.
Strictly Come Dancing suffered a fresh blow on Sunday as ratings for the 2025 final were revealed on Sunday
In the live final, former footballer Karen Carney and her partner Carlos Gu beat George Clarke and Amber Davies to become champions.
Karen was left speechless as the winner of the 2025 series was announced as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman bid farewell to viewers in an emotional finale.
Each finalist performed three times: the judges’ choice, their demonstration dance, and their favorite dance before the winner was announced.
Karen looked in great shock as she hugged her professional partner Carlos when Tess and Claudia announced her win.
He said: ‘I can’t believe it. I want to thank everyone who supported us and this wonderful gentleman who supported our journey. [Carlos].
‘We are a team and I couldn’t have done this without you but I honestly can’t believe it, this has been the greatest privilege and honor and I am literally lost for words. I’m so sorry.’
Karen later took to her official Instagram account to thank her fans as she and Carlos held the glitter ball trophy tightly in their hands.
They said: ‘Hello everyone! We did it!
‘We can’t, to be honest, we can’t believe it, but we want to say thank you so much for all your support, all your votes, all your kind words; They mean everything to me and Carlos.
Karen, 38, beat fellow finalists Amber Davies and George Clarke with 117 points from three performances.
‘So thank you. Thank you very much.’
Before the result was announced, Tess and Claudia received a special VT following the airing of this year’s highlights.
But they were stunned when Craig Revel Horwood read a private letter from Her Majesty the Queen.
It read: ‘Tess and Claudia, as you prepare to make your final return, I want to thank you on behalf of the millions who watch you every week.
‘I’ve often thought: Rather than a show strictly about dance, it’s about friendships, bonds formed, struggles overcome and the shared joy of taking on a common endeavour.
‘If this is true, then perhaps yours was the greatest partnership of all. The warmth, compassion and pure happiness you radiate from each other has been at the core of the show’s success.
‘I think I speak for everyone when I say you are utterly gorgeous. I wish you both success wherever your life journey takes you, but as someone who has appreciated the lifelong benefits, promise us one thing, keep dancing.
‘With my sincerest gratitude and admiration, Her Majesty Queen Camilla.’
