Strictly Come Dancing 2025 reaches its highly anticipated conclusion tonight, with one couple set to lift the iconic Glitterball Trophy – but what time is the Final on?
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host the BBC show for the final time. The remaining couples will finally go head to head in the ballroom. Viewers should brace themselves, as tonight’s episode is a bumper-long one.
Each finalist will perform three routines, familiar faces will return, and emotions are guaranteed to run high. Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s Strictly Come Dancing Final, including who’s still in the competition and when it starts.
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final
There are three couples left battling it out for the title. Competing in the Final are Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, George Clarke and Alexis Warr, and Karen Carney and Carlos Gu.
All three pairs will perform three dances each: their Favourite Dance, the Judges’ Pick and their Show Dance.
For the Favourite Dance, each couple has chosen a routine they performed earlier in the series. Meanwhile, judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood have each selected a dance for the Judges’ Pick.
When it comes to the Show Dance, the rule book is well and truly thrown out. Celebrities and professionals can choose any style and any song. But they’ll need to deliver a high-energy, show-stopping performance designed to impress the viewers at home.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2025 class will also return to the ballroom tonight for one last group routine – with one exception. Thomas Skinner is reportedly absent due to prior commitments.
After three months of competition, it promises to be a celebratory reunion as the cast of 2025 come together again for the Final.
How to vote in the Strictly Final
While the judges will still critique each performance, their scores tonight are purely for guidance. The winner will be decided entirely by the public vote.
Voting will open once all three couples have completed their first dance of the night. As with the rest of the series, fans can only vote online via the official Strictly Come Dancing website once Claudia gives the go-ahead.
The couple with the most public votes when the lines close will be crowned Strictly Come Dancing 2025 champions. The BBC does not usually confirm second or third place. Those couples are instead named runners-up.
Last year’s winners Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will return to the ballroom tonight to hand over the Glitterball Trophy to the new champions.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s last Strictly show
Alongside the excitement of the crowning moment, it will also be a night of mixed emotions as viewers say goodbye to Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Tess has hosted Strictly since its launch in 2004. Claudia joined her in 2014 following the retirement of the late Bruce Forsyth. The pair confirmed their decision to step down earlier this year.
Last week, judge Craig Revel Horwood presented the duo with their own gold Glitterball Trophies. While details of tonight’s farewell are being kept under wraps, it’s widely reported that Tess and Claud could take to the dance floor themselves for a final routine.
An insider previously claimed the dance would be a chance for both the cast and viewers to say goodbye, despite the presenters being the first to admit they’re not natural dancers.
Tess and Claudia will still appear in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special on Christmas Day, though that episode has already been pre-recorded.
What time is Strictly Come Dancing: The Final on tonight?
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final starts at 7pm tonight, Saturday December 20, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The movie-length episode will run for two hours and 10 minutes, finishing at 9.10pm.
By the end of the night, a new champion will be crowned – and an era of Strictly will officially come to a close.
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