# Strictly Come Dancing series 23
**Strictly Come Dancing series 23** is the 2025 edition of the [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) celebrity ballroom competition, broadcast from a launch show on 20 September 2025 to a final on 20 December 2025. Fifteen celebrities and their professional partners competed, and the series was won by former England footballer [Karen Carney](https://www.edgepedia.org/karen-carney) and her professional partner Carlos Gu.[1](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/0913/1533229-first-official-photo-of-new-strictly-contestants-drops/) • [2](https://www.itv.com/news/2025-12-20/karen-carney-and-carlos-gu-win-strictly-come-dancing-in-emotional-final) It was the last series presented by [Tess Daly](https://www.edgepedia.org/tess-daly) and Claudia Winkleman, who stepped down after 21 and 12 years respectively, with a new presenting line-up introduced in autumn 2026.[3](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/aboutthebbc/annualreport2025-2026/strategic-review)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Broadcast | Launch show 20 September 2025; first live show 27 September 2025; final 20 December 2025, BBC One and BBC iPlayer[4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23) • [5](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online) |
| Hosts | Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, in their final series[3](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/aboutthebbc/annualreport2025-2026/strategic-review) |
| Judges | Shirley Ballas (head judge), Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood, and Anton Du Beke[5](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online) |
| Couples | 15 celebrity-professional pairs; two new professionals, Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, joined[1](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/0913/1533229-first-official-photo-of-new-strictly-contestants-drops/) • [4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23) |
| Winner | Karen Carney and Carlos Gu; Carney is the first footballer to lift the Glitterball Trophy[2](https://www.itv.com/news/2025-12-20/karen-carney-and-carlos-gu-win-strictly-come-dancing-in-emotional-final) |
| Final rating | 7.7 million overnight viewers (54% share), peaking at 8.4 million; the BBC later reported 8.6 million for the Grand Final on 28-day BARB 4-screen figures[6](https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2473676/the-ratings-thread-part-76/p397) • [7](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/articles/2026/strictly-come-dancing-2026) |
| Series statistics | 12 weeks, 15 couples, 125 dances, average judges' score 7.38[8](https://www.strictlystats.com/seasons) |
## Broadcast and format
The series was a BBC Studios Entertainment production for BBC One and [BBC iPlayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-iplayer), commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC.[9](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/mediapacks/strictly-come-dancing-2025-judges-hosts) The launch show on 20 September 2025 revealed the 15 pairings, and the first live show followed on 27 September.[4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23) Live shows aired on Saturday evenings with results shows on Sundays, and the behind-the-scenes spin-off *It Takes Two* ran on [BBC Two](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-two) at 6:30pm on weekdays.[5](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online)
In week one, all 15 couples danced for judges' scores only, with no public vote and no elimination; those scores carried into week two, when the public vote and dance-off began.[10](https://bbc.com.im/programmes/articles/16rGc8M34fT0wWYmrSMc8Cp/about) Throughout the series, couples were ranked by judges' scores and public vote combined, with the two lowest-scoring couples facing a dance-off decided by the judges.[11](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/strictly-come-dancing/episodes-season-23/1030337277/) Voting took place online only, through the BBC website.[4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23)
## Cast
The celebrity line-up, announced in full on 15 August 2025 on [BBC Radio 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-radio-2), was heavily weighted toward sport: Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, former Chelsea striker [Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-floyd-hasselbaink), former England rugby captain [Chris Robshaw](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-robshaw), and former England footballer Karen Carney, alongside actors Alex Kingston, Balvinder Sopal, Lewis Cope, and Stefan Dennis, and entertainers including Dani Dyer, La Voix, and Ross King.[4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23) • [12](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online)
Two new professional dancers joined for the series, announced on 27 July 2025. [Alexis Warr](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexis-warr), an American dancer, had won *So You Think You Can Dance* in 2022 as the first female Ballroom and Latin dancer to take the title, and had performed on the US *Dancing with the Stars* and its tour. Julian Caillon, an Australian Ballroom and Latin dancer, had appeared as a professional on three series of Australia's *Dancing with the Stars* and toured with *Burn the Floor*.[4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23) • [5](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online) [Dianne Buswell](https://www.edgepedia.org/dianne-buswell) also made history as the show's first pregnant professional dancer to compete.[13](https://www.womanandhome.com/life/news-entertainment/dianne-buswell-strictlys-first-pregnant-professional/)
**A pre-first-show withdrawal.** On 23 September 2025, Love Island winner and actress [Dani Dyer](https://www.edgepedia.org/dani-dyer) withdrew after fracturing her ankle during training. On 26 September, her substitute was revealed to be Amber Davies, a West End performer who had won Love Island, and she started rehearsals with [Nikita Kuzmin](https://www.edgepedia.org/nikita-kuzmin), Dyer's partner, before the first live show the next night.[4](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23)
## Competition and result
The series ran 12 weeks of competition, shorter than the 13 weeks of series 20 through 22, with 125 dances performed and a season-average judges' score of 7.38.[8](https://www.strictlystats.com/seasons)
The final on 20 December 2025 featured three couples: George Clarke with Alexis Warr, Amber Davies with Nikita Kuzmin, and Karen Carney with Carlos Gu. Each finalist performed three routines, a Judges' Pick, a Showdance, and their favorite dance from the series, and the winner was decided solely by an online public vote, with judges' scores advisory only.[14](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-strictly-come-dancing-season-23-final-free) Carney and Gu won, making Carney the first footballer to lift the Glitterball Trophy; she brought back her football-themed jive from week one during the final.[2](https://www.itv.com/news/2025-12-20/karen-carney-and-carlos-gu-win-strictly-come-dancing-in-emotional-final) • [15](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/clyx7w7j4glo) Across the series her average judges' score was 33.94.[16](https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2493871/strictly-winners-highest-and-lowest-average-scores)
## End of an era for the presenting team
The final was the last live show for Tess Daly and [Claudia Winkleman](https://www.edgepedia.org/claudia-winkleman), who had co-hosted the main show together for more than a decade; their last appearance as a duo came in the pre-recorded Christmas special. During the final they received tributes from the Queen, Mary Berry, the crew, and viewers.[2](https://www.itv.com/news/2025-12-20/karen-carney-and-carlos-gu-win-strictly-come-dancing-in-emotional-final) The BBC's annual report confirmed that following series 23 the two stepped down after 21 and 12 years respectively, with a new presenting line-up introduced in autumn 2026: presenter [Emma Willis](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-willis), former Strictly professional dancer [Johannes Radebe](https://www.edgepedia.org/johannes-radebe), and comedian Josh Widdicombe.[3](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/aboutthebbc/annualreport2025-2026/strategic-review) • [17](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/strictly-come-dancing-season-24-free)
The series itself remained the BBC's biggest entertainment title by viewer hours, with a main-show average audience of 7.8 million viewers on 28-day BARB 4-screen figures.[7](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/articles/2026/strictly-come-dancing-2026)
## References
1. [First official photo of new Strictly contestants drops, RTÉ](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/0913/1533229-first-official-photo-of-new-strictly-contestants-drops/)
2. [Former Lioness Karen Carney and Carlos Gu win Strictly Come Dancing in emotional final, ITV News](https://www.itv.com/news/2025-12-20/karen-carney-and-carlos-gu-win-strictly-come-dancing-in-emotional-final)
3. [Strategic review, BBC Annual Report 2025–26](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/aboutthebbc/annualreport2025-2026/strategic-review)
4. [Series 23, Strictly Come Dancing Wiki](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Series_23)
5. [How to watch Strictly Come Dancing 2025 online, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online)
6. [The Ratings Thread (Part 76), Digital Spy forums](https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2473676/the-ratings-thread-part-76/p397)
7. [Strictly Come Dancing 2026, BBC Media Centre](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/articles/2026/strictly-come-dancing-2026)
8. [Seasons, Strictly Stats](https://www.strictlystats.com/seasons)
9. [Strictly Come Dancing 2025 Judges and Hosts, BBC Media Centre](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/mediapacks/strictly-come-dancing-2025-judges-hosts)
10. [BBC One – Strictly Come Dancing – About](https://bbc.com.im/programmes/articles/16rGc8M34fT0wWYmrSMc8Cp/about)
11. [Strictly Come Dancing Season 23 episodes, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/strictly-come-dancing/episodes-season-23/1030337277/)
12. [How to watch 'Strictly Come Dancing' 2025 online, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-strictly-come-dancing-2025-online)
13. [Dianne Buswell will make history as Strictly's first pregnant professional, Woman & Home](https://www.womanandhome.com/life/news-entertainment/dianne-buswell-strictlys-first-pregnant-professional/)
14. [How to watch 'Strictly Come Dancing' season 23 final, Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/watch-strictly-come-dancing-season-23-final-free)
15. [Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winner crowned, BBC Newsround](https://bbc.com.im/newsround/articles/clyx7w7j4glo)
16. [Strictly Winners – highest and lowest average Scores, Digital Spy forums](https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2493871/strictly-winners-highest-and-lowest-average-scores)
17. [How to watch Strictly Come Dancing 2026 online, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/how-to-watch/tv-shows/strictly-come-dancing-season-24-free)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Screen seasons › Dance competition seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license