Strictly Come Dancing finale ends with ratings dip as Karen Carney and Carlos Gu win
Final's audience declines for the fourth year running as champions are crowned
Strictly Come Dancing faced another ratings setback in its 2025 finale, with Karen Carney and her pro partner Carlos Gu crowned champions after a finale that failed to lift overall numbers. The live final peaked at 8.4 million viewers, BBC officials said, marking the fourth straight year in which the finale failed to reach the level of earlier editions. By comparison, the 2024 finale peaked at 9.3 million, while 2023 reached 9.7 million. The show’s average audience this year was 7.6 million, down from 8.6 million in 2024 and 8.8 million in 2023. The BBC noted that many more viewers would catch up via BBC iPlayer, where Strictly has grown its audience this year.
Carney and Gu defeated George Clarke and Amber Davies to win the Glitterball trophy, with each finalist performing three dances: a judges’ choice, their show dance and their favourite dance before the winner was revealed. The final unfolded with the usual glitz and emotional moments as host Tess Daly and judge Craig Revel Horwood signaled that the end of this series was near. Carney, wearing a surprised expression, told the crowd, "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]." Gu embraced his partner as the glitterball trophy was handed over.
Prior to the result, a special tribute VT aired, and Craig Revel Horwood read a message from Queen Camilla. The message praised the pairing as a standout example of the show’s bonds and urged the finalists to keep dancing. BBC officials emphasized that overnight ratings captured the bulk of the audience, with extensive streaming activity on iPlayer expected to boost total viewership beyond the live figures.
Even with a star-studded lineup, the 2025 final’s audience levels continued a multi-year downward trend since 2023, when the finale drew around 9.7 million peak viewers. The broadcaster’s data, along with year-over-year comparisons, illustrate a steady erosion of peak and average audiences, even as the format remains a cultural touchstone and a nightly topic of conversation among fans and media alike.