Carlos Gu emotional confession ahead of Strictly Come Dancing Glitterball win with Karen Carney
During the live final, Gu opened up about his road to the trophy, crediting Carney for transforming his approach and emphasizing teamwork and humility.
Strictly Come Dancing reached its dramatic climax in Saturday’s live final as Carlos Gu, a veteran pro on the show, broke down emotionally while addressing why he did not have a celeb partner in previous years before he and Karen Carney lifted the Glitterball Trophy. The moment came after their football-themed finale jive set to Blondie’s One Way or Another, a routine that helped seal their victory and left Gu visibly moved as he stood beside Carney facing the judging panel.
In a candid exchange with host Claudia Winkleman in the Clauditorium, Gu tearfully acknowledged the impact Carney had on his life and career on Strictly. “She’s changed my life. I think she’s the best thing that I’ve ever had in 2025,” he said, before adding that his focus had previously been inward. “I came to Strictly after competitive life, I was self-centred, I was ‘me, me, me.’” The moment underscored a personal evolution, as Gu credited Carney with teaching him kindness, humility and the importance of teamwork. Winkleman offered comfort, telling him, “Oh Carlos, you are a team player. You are, and we love you and your partnership is everything.”
The display of vulnerability was followed by a flawless 40 from the judges, reaffirming the intensity of the moment and sending both dancers to tears again. Viewers at home reacted with an outpouring of support and emotion on social media, praising Gu’s honesty and the partnership he forged with Carney throughout their Strictly journey.
In the outcome, Carlos Gu and Karen Carney were crowned Strictly Come Dancing champions, beating finalists George Clarke and Amber Davies. Karen Carney struggled to take in the win and expressed gratitude to the audience and to Gu, saying, “I cannot believe it. I just want to say thank you to everybody that supported our journey, supported us, and thank you to this wonderful gentleman. We are a team, and I could not have done this without you.” The finale also featured a touching tribute to show hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, with Craig Revel Horwood reading a letter from Queen Camilla. The monarch lauded the show’s friendships and the bonds formed through the competition, describing the partnership between the hosts and contestants as among the greatest in Strictly’s history and concluding with a royal wish to “keep dancing.”
The royal letter arrived as part of a formal send-off, coinciding with Claudia and Tess’s farewell moment during the finale. The two longtime presenters had opened the episode in matching style, with Claudia donning a black jacket and a white blouse and sporting a message stitched on the back: “keep dancing.” Tess wore a rose-gold sequined gown with a thigh-high slit, marking a high note to cap a season that balanced high-level competition with intimate, human moments.
For Gu, the night functioned as a turning point he framed not just as professional achievement but as personal growth. He described his Strictly run as a chance to learn what it means to be a teammate, a shift he attributed to Carney’s influence. The crowd’s and judges’ reaction to his heartfelt remarks underscored the resonance of his admission, and the judges’ scores reinforced the momentum of the moment.
Beyond the glitter and glitterball, the final highlighted the show’s themes of perseverance, collaboration and celebration of progress, with Gu and Carney’s narrative standing out as a testament to transformation through partnership. The public response, which included widespread praise for Gu’s openness, reflected how audiences connect with the human dimensions of competition, especially when a performer acknowledges growth that extends beyond the dance floor.
As the curtain closed on this year’s edition, the Strictly Come Dancing finale delivered a concluding blend of triumph, reflection and tribute, underscoring the show’s enduring appeal to audiences who value performance as much for its emotional honesty as for its choreographed spectacle.