The YouTuber and his pro partner Alexis Warr reached the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final but lost out to winners Karen Carney and Carlos Gu
20:55, 21 Dec 2025Updated 20:58, 21 Dec 2025
Content creator George Clarke has issued a statement after missing out on the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing winning title.
This weekend saw YouTuber George take to the stage for a final time alongside finalists Karen Carney and Amber Davies, each vying for the chance to lift the Glitterball trophy. But only one was crowned the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing winner.
Karen and pro dancer Carlos Gu thrilled judges and fans at home as they secured the winning title, with messages of support coming in. Now, co-star George has opened up about his Strictly journey, admitting it helped him discover some “self belief”.
In an emotional statement posted on Sunday, 21 December, George admitted the conclusion of the series was “a lot to process”, adding: “The journey is done and that’s hard to come to terms with.”
He described the past few months as “a hell of an experience”, whilst paying heartfelt tribute to Alexis, one of the BBC programme’s newest professional dancers.
“Your pro is 99% of your process and I’ve had the best and most formative 4 months of my life so I think that shows how impactful she has been,” he wrote. “She helped me discover some belief in myself, something that has really helped shaped me as a person not just as a dancer.
“I think it was evident early on she was an incredible dancer and choreographer but something I got to discover is that she’s also a wonderful person.”, reports the Mirror.
His message received an outpouring of support from his new “Strictly family”, with departing co-host Claudia Winkleman responding with four red heart emojis and judge Craig Revel Horwood commenting “Well done George”.
His partner Alexis, 25, also replied: “Georgey! love you so much, thank you! Let me know if you ever need a dance partner, I’ll be there.”
George and 25 year old Alexis, who hails from Utah, gave their absolute best in Saturday evening’s final – which also marked Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s last show as presenters.
The pair revisited their Paso Doble to Game of Survival by Ruelle, a routine that had previously secured them 30 points back in Week 2.
They also showcased a Viennese Waltz set to Somebody to Love by Queen and delivered their show dance to Human by The Killers. Each of the three performances garnered 39 points from the judges, matching the scores of eventual champions Karen and Carlos, whilst sitting just one point shy of fellow runners-up Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin.
Reflecting on his final trio of performances, George remarked: “I ended the night doing 3 wildly different dances, none of which I would’ve had a chance in hell at doing at the start of the competition. Not only was there improvement but I hand on heart genuinely loved performing them and that was something I never thought would happen.”
He characterised the “whole world of Strictly” as “uplifting and positive”, describing it as a “breath of fresh air” in his life.
“I’ve learned a lot about dancing, I’ve learned a lot about myself and it’s something I’ll never forget,” he continued. “Everyone has had their own personal journeys and many would’ve been worthy winning but I’m happy to say that a particularly impressive woman on and off the dance floor has had the privilege of walking away as champ.
“I hope that I can continue dancing in some capacity because in my ways I don’t feel like I’m done… my body however will be on standby until 2026.”
Among the heartfelt messages from the series’ stars was one from dancer Amy Dowden, who penned: “What a kind, genuine lovely soul! You’ve been amazing each week. Thank you for bringing so much to the show and looking after our @alexis_warr on her first year. Smashed it and should both be so proud! Xxxx”.
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website
Strictly Come Dancing can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.