Who is Karen Carney? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and sports star
Karen is hoping to take home the Glitterball Trophy this weekend.
Karen Carney is heading back out onto the ballroom one final time this weekend, ready to blow audiences away in the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 final.
Last weekend’s semi-final brought loads of high scores, with each couple dancing twice and no one scoring less than a 35. Karen and professional partner Carlos Gu scored a near perfect score of 39 for their Salsa and Waltz performances, sitting them at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of 78.
This weekend the finalists will perform three exceptional routines; audiences can expect the return of the Showdance, as well as an additional two performances that the judges and the contestants themselves have picked out to perform from their time on the show.
Karen became emotional this weekend over the prospect of lifting the Glitterball Trophy and gushed about her dance partner to RadioTimes.com, saying: "Carlos is amazing person, and for me, [that's] the most important thing as a partner...He's a wonderful person. He's [a] fantastic dancer."
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
Week 10: Couples' Choice (10+10+10+10) = 40 + 4 = 44
Week 11: Samba (8+8+9+9) = 34
Week 12: Salsa and Waltz (9+10+10+10 = 39) + (9+10+10+10 = 39) = 78
What is Karen Carney dancing to in the Strictly Final?
Karen and dance partner Carlos will be dancing a Showdance to Inner Smile by Texas, Argentine Tango to Red Right Hand by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Jive to One Way Or Another by Blondie.
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 20th December at 7pm.
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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.
