The BBC found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons during the live final of Strictly Come Dancing 2025, after making a significant on-air error involving a member of the Royal Family.
Royal Praise and a Title Gaffe
Viewers tuning into the highly anticipated live final were treated to a surprise video message from Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. The royal, who is a patron of the learning disability charity Mencap, appeared to praise finalist Ellie Goldstein. Ellie made history this series as the first contestant with Down's syndrome to compete on the show, before becoming the fifth celebrity to be voted out.
In her message, the Duchess commended Ellie's work, stating: 'I'm Patron of MENCAP and Ellie is one of our amazing supporters. She has dispelled quite a number of perceptions of people with learning disabilities.'
However, the warm sentiment was immediately undermined by a captioning mistake. As the Duchess spoke, the on-screen graphic identified her as 'Sophie Wessex, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh'. This is a title she no longer uses, having dropped the 'Wessex' designation following recent changes to royal styles, rendering the BBC's caption factually incorrect.
Swift Social Media Reaction
The slip did not go unnoticed by the show's vast audience. One alert viewer quickly took to social media to flag the error, questioning how it could occur during one of the broadcaster's flagship live events of the year. They wrote: 'She isn’t called Sophie Wessex anymore!' followed by a facepalm emoji.
Other fans chose to focus on the positive inclusion of the royal message, with one commenting on the 'royal touches' of the night, which also included a tribute from Queen Camilla. Nonetheless, the blunder sparked a wave of criticism aimed at the BBC's production team for the oversight.
A Night of Royal Send-Offs
The Duchess was not the only royal figure to feature in the emotionally charged final. The episode also served as a farewell to longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. In a stunning surprise, judge Craig Revel Horwood read out a heartfelt letter sent specifically for the occasion.
The tribute was revealed to be from Queen Camilla herself. In the letter, the Queen Consort thanked the presenting duo for their 'warmth, compassion, and sheer happiness', describing them as 'utterly fabulous' and calling their partnership 'the greatest strictly partnership of all'. She urged them to 'keep dancing' in their future endeavours.
The hosts were visibly moved, with Tess Daly stating she was lost for words and calling it 'an honour', while Claudia Winkleman expressed amazement at the 'wonderful surprise'. The royal tributes, though marred by one title error, underscored the cultural significance of the long-running entertainment show as it celebrated a major changing of the guard.
