Throughout her football career, Karen Carney was often praised as one of the calmest and most composed players on the field. However, donning a glamorous gown and heels for Strictly Come Dancing has taken her far beyond her usual comfort zone, she revealed in an exclusive interview.
“The challenge for me is to show my true self without feeling shy, awkward, or withdrawn,” Karen explains ahead of the new Strictly series. “Many know me from the football world, which is intense, and I think people see me as very serious but that’s not really who I am!”
“I want people to see the warmer, caring side of me the team player. I’m actually quite awkward and nervous, but also daft and funny. I just want to show the real Karen, not the footballer Karen.
“Everyone who’s done Strictly has advised me not to be too hard on myself. On the pitch, I’d be super critical, but this is the pros’ domain and I feel humbled and privileged to be here.”
The proud Brummie, 38, is a familiar face in football punditry, regularly appearing on ITV, Sky Sports, and TNT Sports.
Karen’s professional career which kicked off at her hometown club, Birmingham City, in the early 2000s spans appearances for England, lifting both the FA Women’s Premier League and FA Women’s Cup trophies, a stint playing in the US, and representing Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.
Over the years, she laughs, she’s been a devoted Strictly fan, having watched almost every episode across the 22 series. She even “begged, stole, and borrowed” to get a seat in the live studio audience last year, never imagining she would one day step onto the iconic dance floor herself.
“You watch it every week and get completely drawn in by the stories and journeys of the contestants,” Karen shares. “When I was in the audience last year, I was mesmerised. I never imagined that I’d actually take part myself. Honestly, not in my wildest dreams. When I got the email confirming I’d be on the show this year, it was just incredible.”
Her list of standout Strictly moments is long, with comedian Chris McCausland — who won with professional Dianne Buswell last year — high on her favourites. She also admired 2022 Glitterball winners Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał. Despite nerves, Karen is excited to create her own memorable moments on the dance floor.
“I absolutely loved watching Chris and Dianne. I even lived in the same block as Chris a few years ago, and being a football fan, I was so invested. I was rooting for them the whole way, and I was thrilled to see Dianne’s parents in the live audience cheering them on.”
“And then Hamza and Jowita, they had that iconic salsa that was just absolutely epic, I still don’t know how he power cleaned her,” she says, referring to the couple’s legendary lift during their salsa (to Ecuador by Sash!).
As Karen talks about taking her place alongside what is arguably one of the most eclectic line-ups in the show’s history, that cool exterior starts to melt. She is particularly delighted to be spending time with reality TV star and podcaster Vicky Pattison, and says they have developed a “brilliant rapport”.
Karen has already been roped in by a fellow contestant to bring a football for some backstage kickabouts — something she’s more than happy to do. “It’s such a lovely bunch this year. Vicky is really down-to-earth with amazing energy,” she laughs. “She always checks in on me, and I’m like, ‘I’m fine, but are you OK?!’
“Ross King cracks me up too. He asked me to bring a ball, so I said I’d bring a mini one — it keeps me calm. We’ll have fun messing around and playing football whenever we can.”
Karen is also receiving plenty of encouragement from famous friends and former Strictly stars. There’s even an unofficial “supporters’ group” cheering her on, including Clare Balding, Ellie Simmonds, Anneka Rice, and Sara Davies.