Who is Karen Carney? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and sports star
Karen managed to climb her way back up the leaderboard last weekend.
Karen Carney is heading back out onto the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom this weekend, ready to blow audiences away once more.
This weekend, she and professional partner Carlos Gu will be performing their Couples' Choice to iconic Lady Gaga song Born This Way.
After weeks of slowly but surely climbing up the leaderboard, Karen received an almost perfect score of 39 for her Charleston, and it's only a matter of time before Craig Revel Horwood lifts that 10.
But what else is there to know about the Lioness? Read on to learn more about Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant Karen Carney.
Who is Karen Carney?
Age: 38
Job: Journalist
Instagram: @kazcarney
Partner: Carlos Gu
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.
Karen Carney's Strictly journey so far
Scoreboard
Week 1: Jive (7+8+8+8) = 31
Week 2: Tango (4+5+5+6) = 20
Week 3: Cha Cha (4+7+7+ 7) = 25
Week 4: Quickstep (6+7+7+7) = 27
Week 5: Rumba (7+7+7+7) = 28
Week 6: Argentine Tango (6+7+7+7) = 27
Week 7: Charleston (8+10+8+9) = 35
Week 8: American Smooth (7+8+8+8) = 31
Week 9: Paso Doble (9+10+10+10) = 39
What is Karen Carney dancing to in Week 10 on Strictly?
Karen and dance partner Carlos will be dancing the Couples' Choice to Born This Way by Lady Gaga
What is Karen Carney's health condition?
During the second live show, Karen Carney opened up about a spine condition that impacted her performance during the competition.
The former footballer explained that she suffers from a curved spine, which can make it "really hard" for her to open her posture up for some elements of ballroom dances.
"There's certain elements I won't be able to do as well as I'd like to," she explained ahead of her Tango in Week 2.
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 continues on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 29th November at 6:35pm.
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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.
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
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