Strictly Come Dancing winner Karen Carney has shared an update on her professional partner Carlos Gu after he broke down during Saturday’s final.
The 32-year-old became overwhelmed after he and Carney performed their final dance together in the live show and burst into tears as he said he had been “self-centred” before this year’s series.
“I’ve been lost for years… no wonder I didn’t get a partner last year because I was not grateful,” he told Claudia Winkleman.
Carney reflected on the emotional moment as she appeared on Radio 2 on Monday (22 December), telling breakfast show host Scott Mills that Gu is “such a soft, gentle soul”.
She continued: “I think the absolute world of him and I get to see him today, so I’m very excited. I haven’t had 24 hours without Carlos Gu in my life, so I’ve missed him but yeah, he’s incredible and he did a fantastic job and I was so blessed and lucky to have him as my partner. And definitely a friend for life.”
The former England player also admitted she carries tissues everywhere “just in case” Gu has an emotional outburst.
“Something just sets him off and he just gets upset and I have to give him a big cuddle,” she explained. “But he’s so lovely as you know. He’s such a gentle soul.”
Gu joined Strictly in 2022 and was paired with Molly Rainford, who made it to the final. The following year, he was partnered with Angela Scanlon – who finished in sixth place – but he was relegated to the subs’ bench in 2024.
Saturday night’s Strictly 2025 final saw Carney and Gu up against Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, and George Clarke and Alexis Warr.
The pair lifted the Glitterball Trophy after closing the show with an electric football-themed jive to “One Way or Another” by Blondie, which received a perfect score of 40. The duo also received top marks for their Peaky Blinders-themed Argentine Tango and an admirable 37 for their showdance set to Texas track “Inner Smile”.
Carney was speechless when she was announced as winner, saying: “I cannot believe it. I want to say thank you to everybody who has supported my journey.”
Turning to Gu, she added: “Thank you to this wonderful gentleman. We are a team. I could not have done this without you.”
This year’s Strictly final was an especially emotional affair as it also marked Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s final night hosting the programme. The two presenters bowed out in style and even received a very special royal surprise.
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