Who is Karen Carney? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and sports star
She'll be swapping the pitch for the dance floor this winter.
There isn't much longer to go before Strictly Come Dancing returns to its home in the Saturday night schedules, with a dazzling line-up of famous faces.
One of the celebrities headed for the dance floor is Karen Carney, who will be swapping the pitch for the Strictly ballroom, following a long line of sports stars and pundits to appear on the show.
Karen will be known to many across the sporting scene, with the former footballer a mainstay in punditry and across women's football.
But what else is there to know? Read on to learn more about Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant Karen Carney.
Who is Karen Carney?
Age: 38
Job: Journalist
Instagram: @kazcarney
Karen Carney is a former footballer and sports journalist, who has played for the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City and England.
She is now the lead female pundit for both men's and women's football, across TNT and ITV. Just last year, Carney led a documentary on ITV looking at the state of football in England.
With 144 caps under her belt, Karen is England's third most-capped player and has competed at four World Cups, four European Championships and the London Olympics before her retirement in 2019.
Karen made history at the men's World Cup 2022 as part of the first all-female line-up to analyse a men's football game.
What has Karen Carney said about Strictly Come Dancing?
Karen Carney said it was "a dream come true" to be part of the show's line-up, adding: "I'm such a huge fan of the show and I can’t believe I’m finally getting the chance to take part. I’m so excited to meet everyone and get dancing!"
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer later this year.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
