Strictly star George Clarke pays tribute to time on the show after missing out on Glitterball Trophy: 'A lot to process'
George had an incredible run in the competitionStrictly star George Clarke has broken his silence after finishing as a runner-up in this year’s competition.
The 26-year-old TikTok star lost out to former Lionesses star Karen Carney, who lifted the Glitterball Trophy, during last night’s final (Saturday, December 20).
George Clarke pays tribute to time on Strictly
Last night saw George and his professional dance partner, Alexis Warr, miss out on the Glitterball Trophy.
All three of their dances – a Viennese waltz, a Showdance, and a Paso Doble – picked up 39 points each.
This morning (Sunday, December 21), George paid tribute to his time on the show and to his dance partner, Alexis.
The star uploaded a picture of himself and Alexis dancing to his X and Instagram accounts, which have a combined 955k followers.
“Last night was a lot to process, but not because I didn’t walk away with the Glitterball. The journey is done, and that’s hard to come to terms with,” he wrote.
He then thanked his friends, family, girlfriend, and “internet pals”, admitting he didn’t realise the support network he has.
George pays tribute to Alexis Warr
Speaking about the show, he described it as a “hell of an experience” and admitted he’s learned “so, so much”.
He then went on to admit that he doesn’t usually like being “centre of attention”, and confessed that in the first few weeks, he thought he’d “bitten off more than I could chew”.
“But that’s where I have to thank Alexis,” he said. “Your pro is 99% of your process and I’ve had the best and most formative 4 months of my life, so I think that shows how impactful she has been. She helped me discover some belief in myself, something that has really helped shape me as a person, not just as a dancer.”
George went on to brand Alexis a “wonderful person”, before adding that Strictly has “gained a real gem”.
The star concluded his message by praising the show itself, describing it as a “positive and uplifting”, Tess and Claudia, who were “incredible” to him, and the winner, a “particularly impressive woman”, Karen.
He ended the tribute by saying that he hopes to continue dancing and his body “is on standby” until 2026 – when he embarks on the Strictly Tour.
Fans send their love
Fans and followers flooded the comment section with love. “You did amazingly on and off the floor – the lesson after is a sharply felt one, but that just means you were surrounded by love – which you will continue to be! Keep dancing my dude,” former champ Jay McGuinness wrote.
“My screen is awfully blurry this morning [crying emoji] so beautifully written. Can’t begin to explain how proud I am of you. Watching you & the beautiful Alexis shine has been the highlight of my year,” his sister, Emily, wrote. “The bubble I never wanted to end, has finally burst but what a way for it to end with your absolutely incredible show dance. Blown away by you. You always have been annoyingly good at everything, guess we’ll add dancing to that list now too.”
“Love you mate! Such an amazing person and an incredible person. Have loved getting to know you,” Julian Caillon added.
“You both together as a little team were just perfect loved watching you grow every week,” Dianne Buswell gushed.
“You guys were amazing the whole series. Be proud,” Gorka Marquez said.
Read more: Strictly fans left divided by Carlos Gu’s admission about being ‘selfish’ and ‘self-centred’
The Strictly Christmas Special will air on Christmas Day at 5.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
