Carlos Gu poised for Strictly Come Dancing victory, could be first openly gay, Asian pro winner

Carlos Gu is tipped to win this weekend’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing, with bookmakers naming him the favourite to lift the Glitterball Trophy alongside former footballer Karen Carney. The 32-year-old dancer, who hails from Taiyuan, China, would, if victorious, become the first openly gay and Asian professional to win the show, a historic milestone for the franchise. Coral and other bookmakers place his chances at about 70 percent, underscoring the momentum he has built through the season.

Gu rose to prominence in China as the National Latin Champion before joining Strictly Come Dancing in 2022. He has previously spoken about the challenges of growing up in a society where discussing sexuality could be difficult. In a July appearance on Lorraine, he described the experience: “I moved to this country. I had a different life. I am finding my true self in this country. Being a gay in China, it’s really hard to talk about it. You can’t tell a word in telly, public, no word.” Since then he has built a life in the United Kingdom, saying he feels he has found opportunity and a sense of home in his new home.

Gu has discussed his family background as well as the personal decisions behind his move abroad. He noted that because of China’s one-child policy he has no siblings, and he has spoken about telling his mother—who raised him as a single parent—about his desire to move to the UK and pursue a place on Strictly. He described her reaction as 100 percent supportive because she believed he would be happier there.

Beyond his life story, Gu’s career has included notable competitive successes. He finished third in the German Open Championship and was the UK’s Amateur Latin Rising Star Runner Up in 2017. When he joined Strictly in 2022, he was paired with EastEnders actress Molly Rainford, and they finished in second place. The following year, he teamed with TV and radio presenter Angela Scanlon, with whom he placed sixth. After a 2024 season in which he did not receive a celebrity partner, he returned this year with Carney, and the pair has moved into the final, cementing Gu’s status as a frontrunner.

Karen Carney, the former England footballer who retired in 2019 and has since become a pundit, is the professional partner for Gu this season. Carney’s own journey has included high-profile peaks and significant personal challenges. The 144-time England international has been open about the difficulties she faced with Scheuermann’s disease, a spinal condition that has affected her dancing. She has also spoken publicly about a knee injury early in her football career, followed by a period of depression and a struggle with sleeping-pill addiction after online abuse targeted at her comments as a pundit. Carney has described how the online abuse intensified after she began commentating, leading to years of emotional distress and, at times, suicidal thoughts.

Carlos Gu and Karen Carney have repeatedly highlighted the impact of adversity on their careers and their performances. Gu has said that moving to the UK provided him with the opportunity to reveal his authentic self and to pursue a career that aligns with his ambitions. He has described the cultural shift as a space in which he can nourish his talents and grow personally as well as professionally. Carney, meanwhile, has used her platform to discuss resilience in the face of harassment, turning the painful episodes of her career into motivation for her work on and off the dance floor.

The final week of Strictly Come Dancing is underway, and the competition’s outcome remains in flux in the eyes of the public. Coral’s betting panel places Carney at 4-9 to win the Glitterball Trophy, a 70 percent implied probability, with George Clarke at 7-4 and Amber Davies at 50-1. John Hill, Coral’s head odds compiler, said the field has narrowed to the three strongest contenders, noting that Carney “has improved with every week on the Strictly dance floor, and after making it through to this weekend’s final, our odds suggest she has a 70 percent chance of lifting the Glitterball Trophy.”

The series has whittled the field down to a final three—Carney, Davies and Clarke—who will perform one last time before the judges’ and public vote determine the winner. Over the weekend, other contestants such as Balvinder Sopal and her partner Julian Caillon were eliminated as the show advanced toward its conclusion. For Gu, the final is a culmination not just of technical prowess but of personal journey: a performer who has navigated cultural barriers, identity struggles and ongoing public scrutiny to reach this moment.

Gu has teased the show’s closing routine, saying the couple’s final dance will be set to Texas’ Inner Smile, a choice that aims to showcase both dancers’ strengths and emotional range. If Gu wins, the victory would mark a landmark moment in the show’s history and could set a new standard for representation in reality competition television.

The 2025 finale represents a convergence of sport, performance and personal storytelling, with audiences watching to see whether Gu can translate his season-long momentum into a Glitterball triumph. As he and Carney prepare to take the floor for one last time, the question remains whether the judges’ scores and public support will align with bookmakers’ odds to crown a champion whose life and career have already broken several barriers.