Former Lioness Karen Carney, YouTuber George Clark and Love Island star Amber Davies will compete for the Strictly Come Dancing Glitterball Trophy later today.
The Strictly Come Dancing finalists are getting ready to take to the ballroom for the final time this weekend as they battle it out for the coveted Glitterball Trophy. Last week’s semi-final delivered high emotion, with Amber Davies narrowly surviving a tense dance-off against EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal.
The former Love Island winner secured her spot in the grand final alongside professional partner Nikita Kuzmin. They will go head-to-head with YouTuber George Clarke and his partner Alexis Warr, as well as former Lioness Karen Carney, who is dancing with Carlos Gu.
Ahead of the highly anticipated finale, the Strictly stars appeared on BBC Radio 2 with Scott Mills to encourage viewers to get behind them. During Wednesday’s show, a sharp-eyed listener suggested that judge Anton Du Beke’s solo tour, Christmas with Anton Du Beke, may have hinted at who could take home the 2025 Strictly crown.
Reading out messages from listeners, Scott said: “Nicky says, ‘Please tell Karen and Carlos they won the audience clapometer by a huge amount at Anton Du Beke’s Christmas show last night in Coventry.’ Maybe that’s a good sign? Who knows.”
Karen, who has already made history as the first footballer to reach a Strictly final, boasts an outstanding sporting career with 144 England caps and five appearances for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics. However, despite her impressive football résumé, she insists it hasn’t necessarily given her an edge on the dance floor, according to Wales Online.
When asked if her sporting background had helped her on Strictly, Karen said: “No, not really. Maybe the fitness and stamina help a bit, but I’ve still had to relearn everything – I’ve been retired for six years.”
She added: “I just keep going and going. I look at Carlos and he’s like, ‘Again, really?’ It takes me a while to get the routine, the steps, everything, so I just keep pushing.”
Karen admitted she would even practise the weekend’s routine while waiting for interviews, prompting Carlos to joke that she should “take a day off.” She responded: “I think that’s the key – repetition and giving it my all. I can guarantee that for Carlos.”
Professional dancer Carlos described working with the former Chelsea winger as “a dream”, adding: “She will do absolutely anything I ask – honestly, it’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”
The Strictly Come Dancing grand finale airs tonight (December 20) at 7pm on BBC One. This episode will also see the end of an era, as presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announce their departure from the series.
“We’ve loved working as a duo, and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We always knew we’d leave together, and now feels like the right time,” the pair said in a joint statement on social media.
“We’ll make the most of the rest of this amazing series and want to send a huge thank you to the BBC and to everyone involved in the show.”
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