Karen Carney: Sharing dancefloor with Strictly finalists was biggest honour
Carney and professional dancer Carlos Gu were crowned the winners of the 23rd series of the BBC dance competition programme on Saturday night.
Strictly Come Dancing winner Karen Carney has said sharing the dancefloor with her fellow finalists was the “biggest honour”.
Carney and professional dancer Carlos Gu were crowned the winners of the 23rd series of the BBC dance competition programme on Saturday night after defeating West End actress Amber Davies and internet star George Clarke.
The emotional final also marked the last time presenting duo Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the live Saturday show after fronting it together for a decade.
In a post shared on Instagram, which featured a selection of photographs from the night including Davies and Clarke’s professional dance partners, Nikita Kuzmin and Alexis Warr, Carney praised the “incredible” finalists.
She said: “It has been so incredibly special being on this journey with you right until the end.
“Last night was a celebration and I’m so grateful we could experience that together – you were all incredible!
“Thank you for being some of the loveliest, most caring people I’ve ever met. From start to finish sharing the dance floor with you has been the biggest honour. I can’t believe that was our last time dancing together but I’m so thankful I have friends for life in all of you.”
Carney’s win made Strictly history as she became the first footballer to lift the Glitterball trophy in the air, while her partner Gu became the first gay and Asian man to claim the title.
The sports broadcaster was not the only one to share an emotional post following Saturday night’s show with Clarke posting a long statement on his Instagram page.
After thanking his family, friends and girlfriend for their support he praised his professional dance partner Warr for helping him “discover some belief” in himself.
He wrote: “Last night was a lot to process but not because I didn’t walk away with a glitterball. the journey is done and that’s hard to come to terms with.
“Your pro is 99% of your process and I’ve had the best and most formative 4 months of my life so I think that shows how impactful she has been.”
Clarke went on to praise presenting duo Daly and Winkleman for being “nothing short of incredible”.
He said: “The whole world of Strictly is so uplifting and positive. Everyone in and around the Strictly family has been a breath of fresh air to have in my life.
“It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of it and a part of Tess and Claudia’s last season (who were nothing short of incredible to me throughout).”
Warr also took to social media to thank Clarke who has become her “friend for life” and for teaching her how to “fully embrace” herself.
The final also featured a tribute video montage for the departing hosts after presenting the series together for a decade.
The montage included a message from TV cook Mary Berry and was followed by a personal letter, read out loud by judge Craig Revel Horwood, from Queen Camilla who praised the pair for their “warmth, compassion and sheer happiness”.
After the show, Daly posted on Instagram praising the show as being “made with love” where “joy is the currency and the only agenda”.
She said: “That love is down to every single member of the brilliant team that makes it, because to none of them is it just a job.
“I will be forever grateful for the unforgettable years I have spent sharing this magical show with you. I’ll miss the Strictly viewers, because they are the very best, the most loyal and supportive, and as passionate about the show as I have always been.
“It has been the most wonderful privilege to have shared it with you all for so many years.”
Daly and Winkleman will return on screens for their last appearance as a presenting duo in a pre-recorded Strictly festive special which will air on Christmas Day.
Saturday night’s final also included a group number from the 2025 cast, a performance from Five and a group routine from the professional dancers and finalists.
One member who did not return to the Strictly dancefloor, however, was Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, who was the first celebrity to be eliminated.
Hours before the final, he posted on X and claimed that his elimination on Strictly Come Dancing was rigged and suggested that he was kicked off the show because he had met US vice president JD Vance.
He said: “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.”
Shortly after joining the show, the 34-year-old admitted to cheating on his wife just weeks after their wedding in an interview with The Sun On Sunday, having previously apologised for picking up a journalist’s phone and walking out of a Strictly press event midway through.
A BBC spokesperson said: “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.
“Unfortunately, despite requests for it, Mr Skinner is yet to share the email he references with anyone from the BBC so we are unable to comment on it.”
A spokesperson for PromoVeritas, the company which independently verifies the Strictly public vote, said: “All votes are independently and comprehensively verified by two auditors. We can confirm that all votes received are validated. This has been the case every week and we have reported no issues with the public vote or how it is being represented in the final results.”
