Who is Karen Carney? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and sports star
Karen managed to climb her way back up the leaderboard in Movie Week after a significant drop the previous week.
Karen Carney returned to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom for another dazzling routine, hoping to tear up the dancefloor once more alongside partner Carlos Gu.
The former footballer's Strictly journey so far hasn't been the most consistent. In the first week, Karen delivered a leaderboard-topping routine and many were hoping she may follow suit. However, Karen explained that due to a health condition, she finds some elements of ballroom dance slightly trickier.
The couple scored 20 points, 11 down from Week 1, as judge Motsi Mabuse said: "It's going to be something we need to challenge to stretch and open up. There's a certain ballroom posture that we need."
But the duo managed to pull it out the bag in Movie Week, crawling their way back up to leaderboard to seventh place. Can they climb higher in Week 4?
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
What did Karen Carney dance to in Week 4 on Strictly?
Karen and dance partner Carlos will be dancing the Quickstep to Marvellous Party by Beverley Knight.
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 18th October at 6:30pm.
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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.
