Strictly favourite ‘set to miss out on Glitterball Trophy’ as new evidence unveiled
Strictly Come Dancing reaches its Grand Final this weekend, and one celebrity will lift the Glitterball Trophy
George Clarke, previously tipped to win Strictly Come Dancing, may not clinch the Glitterball Trophy this weekend after all.
Exclusive odds from Betway suggest that Karen Carney is now the favourite to win the 2025 series with odds of 1/2, while YouTuber George trails in second place with odds of 13/8.
Amber Davies, who was predicted by bookies to miss out on the final, has long odds of 40/1 to win. Last weekend, Amber and her partner, Nikita Kuzmin, were in the bottom two, alongside Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.
However, following a dance-off, the judges chose to save Amber, signalling the end of Balvinder’s journey in the competition.
Reflecting on her time on the show, Balvinder told Tess, “I’ve absolutely adored every single minute. All the dance-offs, all the challenges, but just more than anything, just being in this building and dancing on this floor with such an amazing human being. It was my Yes Year, and I said yes to Strictly. My family, we’ve had some hard times, but they’ve been here,” reports the Express.
George Clarke was the frontrunner to win(Image: BBC)
Paying homage to Julian, the EastEnders actress continued, “I mean, I have no words, actually. You’ve been brilliant in every sense of the word, when I wobbled, and when I felt really brilliant about the dance and got the steps right, you’ve just held me in your hands and you’ve gone, Bal, we’ve got this. It’s just me and you, and we’re gonna do this together.
“And we have done every single dance together, I’ve never felt alone on this floor, and I just want you to remember me. Don’t replace me too soon!”
When Tess enquired about Julian’s experience having Balvinder as his debut dance partner, he responded: “I just think that Bal embodies what this competition is about.
“Her spirit is unbreakable, and [to Bal] you have shown me that I’m actually dreaming too small, and Bal can inspire us that whatever any of us want in life, all you have to have is the desire to go after it. It took six dance-offs and a perfect score to take this lady out, so I am so, so proud of you!”
Amber landed in the dance off against Blavinder last weekend(Image: BBC)
During last Sunday’s semi-final results show, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman received an unexpected tribute ahead of their final appearance on Strictly Come Dancing following this year’s festive special.
The presenting duo were treated to a montage celebrating their years on the programme, which included fresh interviews with the judging panel and archive clips from their early days alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth.
The judges, assisted by Kai Widdrington, then presented Tess and Claudia with their own unique golden Glitterball Trophies – the first of their kind.
This weekend sees the final three celebrities battle it out for the BBC series crown. Previous contestants from this year’s series will also make a return to support the finalists.
