Key moments from a sequin-filled 2025published at 18:51 BST
18:51 BST
Katie Williams
Live reporter
Fifteen celebs, 13 weeks of competition, countless fake tan sessions and too many sequins to count… 2025 was a riot.
There were too many memorable moments to distil into one short post, but here are some highlights.
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Off to a roaring start: Karen Carney kicked things off in style in week one, scoring 31 for her Jive and becoming the first footballer to top the leaderboard in 18 years. She would go on to win 12 weeks later.
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That “creepy” couple’s choice: Halloween is always a fan favourite with spooktacular music and costumes. Lewis Cope and his partner Katya also bagged the first perfect score of the season, earning 40 for their couple’s choice dance to Radiohead song Creep.
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Everyone wants to make it to Blackpool
A trip to the seaside: Blackpool (week nine) is the milestone every celeb wants to reach – and they rose to the occasion last year, with one perfect 40 score and two almost-perfect 39s. Must be that sprung dance floor…
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10 seconds to devise a routine
A chaotic instant dance challenge: This was a new addition last year and tested our celebs like never before as they made it to week 10. Picture this: a dance style selected at random, 10 seconds on the clock to devise a routine, and a quick costume change to boot.
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An emotional farewell: Tributes poured in after the shock announcement in October that hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman would be stepping down after 21 and 11 years hosting the show respectively.
Both were overcome with emotion during last year’s final. And Queen Camilla even sent in a message calling them “the greatest Strictly partnership of all”.