Strictly’s George Clarke breaks silence after final with seven heartbreaking words

George Clarke has broken his silence after the Strictly Come Dancing final, summing up his emotions with just seven words following a dramatic night in the ballroom. The 26-year-old content creator finished runner-up in the 2025 series, narrowly missing out on lifting the Glitterball as former England footballer Karen Carney and professional partner Carlos Gu were crowned champions. While the celebrations played out live on BBC One, George took to Instagram hours later to reflect on the moment the competition ended.

Sharing a photo of himself on the dancefloor with partner Alexis Warr, George wrote: “The journey is done and that’s hard.” The short line set the tone for a longer, heartfelt message as he admitted the reality of finishing second had taken time to sink in. He continued: “Last night was a lot to process but not because I didn’t walk away with a glitterball. The journey is done and that’s hard to come to terms with.”

George went on to thank those closest to him for helping him through the intense four-month experience.

He added: “Firstly, I’d like to thank my family, my friends, my girlfriend, all my internet pals and anyone who showed any ounce of support.”

While viewers saw confidence grow week by week on screen, George admitted the show pushed him far beyond his comfort zone. He explained: “Strictly has been a hell of an experience for me and I feel like I’ve learned so so much.”

That learning curve, he said, was down largely to Alexis, who joined the series this year as a new professional. George revealed there were moments early on when he doubted himself, writing: “After the first few weeks I really thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew.”

Praising his partner’s impact, he added: “Your pro is 99 per cent of your process and I’ve had the best and most formative four months of my life.”

He also credited Alexis with helping him off the dancefloor, saying: “She helped me discover some belief in myself, something that has really helped shape me as a person not just as a dancer.”

George also reflected on the final itself, where each celebrity performed three routines in one night. He admitted the experience would have seemed impossible just weeks earlier, writing: “I ended the night doing three wildly different dances, none of which I would’ve had a chance in hell at doing at the start of the competition.”

The YouTuber also paid tribute to hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman during their final series fronting the show, describing them as “nothing short of incredible”.

Despite missing out on the title, George made it clear the ending was not the end of his dancing journey. He closed his post by telling fans: “I hope that I can continue dancing in some capacity because in many ways I don’t feel like I’m done.”