YouTuber and content creator George Clarke has shared a heartfelt and lengthy statement after finishing in third place in the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final with his professional partner, Alexis Warr.
A Journey of Self-Discovery on the Dance Floor
Despite not lifting the coveted glitterball trophy, which was won by former footballer Karen Carney and her partner Carlos Gu, Clarke described the experience as transformative. In his statement, issued on Sunday, December 21, 2025, he called the past few months "a hell of an experience" and admitted the end of the journey was "hard to come to terms with."
He reserved special praise for his partner, Alexis Warr, one of the BBC show's newest professional dancers. "Your pro is 99% of your process," he wrote, calling the last four months "the most formative" of his life. He credited Warr with helping him "discover some belief in myself, something that has really helped shape me as a person not just as a dancer."
Final Night Performances and Judge's Scores
During the live final on Saturday night, which marked the last episode hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkelman, Clarke and Warr performed three dances. They revisited their Paso Doble to 'Game of Survival' by Ruelle, which originally scored 30 in Week 2. They also performed a Viennese Waltz to Queen's 'Somebody to Love' and a showdance to 'Human' by The Killers.
Remarkably, all three of their routines scored 39 points from the judges, matching the scores of the eventual champions and sitting just one point behind fellow runners-up Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin. Reflecting on his progress, Clarke noted, "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."
Overwhelming Support from the Strictly Family
The emotional post garnered an outpouring of support from his Strictly Come Dancing colleagues. Departing co-host Claudia Winkelman responded with four red heart emojis, while judge Craig Revel Horwood commented "Well done George." Professional dancer Amy Dowden wrote a touching tribute, calling Clarke a "kind, genuine lovely soul" and thanking him for looking after Alexis Warr in her debut year.
Warr herself, 25, replied affectionately, "Georgey! love you so much, thank you! Let me know if you ever need a dance partner, I'll be there." Clarke described the entire Strictly world as "uplifting and positive," a "breath of fresh air" in his life where he learned about both dancing and himself.
He concluded by graciously congratulating the "particularly impressive woman" Karen Carney for her win and hinted at a future involving dance, joking that while his mind is willing, "my body however will be on standby until 2026."
