Strictly's Karen Carney reveals real reason she joined series

During her career as a footballer,Karen Carney was regularly considered — and celebrated — as the most cool, calm and collected player on the pitch. But as she steps into her Strictly Come Dancing glamorous gown and heels, she admits in an exclusive chat with OK! that it’s pushing her further out of her comfort zone than she’s ever been.

“The challenge for me will be trying to show the real version of me, and not getting shy or awkward, or insular,” she reveales when we sit down with her a few days before the latest series kicks off. “A lot of people will have seen me in the football environment, and it’s quite intense. My feeling is that people perceive me in a certain way —that I’m very... serious. But that’s not really accurate!"

READ MORE: Strictly's Dianne Buswell slams troll comment about her competing on show while pregnant

READ MORE: M&S shoppers can bag 1kg boxes of luxury chocolate worth £35 for £19 with money-saving deal

“I want people to see the warm side of me. The kind, caring team player. I’m actually quite awkward, and nervous. But I’m also really daft and funny, and I probably just want to bring the other version of Karen, not the footballer Karen.

“Everyone I know who’s been on Strictly has told me not to be too hard on myself. If it was football, I’d be absolutely critical of myself, but this isn’t my thing, it’s the pros’ thing — and I’m humbled and privileged to be on the show.”

The fiercely proud Brummie, 38, is one of the most recognisable faces in football punditry, with regular appearances on ITV, Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

Her professional career — which began at her home club of Birmingham City in the early noughties — includes appearances for England, lifting the FA Women’s Premier League and FA Women’s Cup trophies, a stint in the US, and a place on the 2012 Olympic Great Britain team.

Over those years, she laughs, she’s been a die-hard fan of Strictly, and can proudly claim to have seen almost every episode of the 22 series so far. She also “beg, stole and borrowed” to secure herself a seat in the live studio audience last year, but confesses that she never expected in a million years to be stepping onto the fabled dance floor herself.

“You watch it every week and you fall in love with the stories, you see people’s journeys and personalities,” she shares. “When I was there last year, I just sat there mesmerised by it. I never, ever thought for one moment that I would be taking part in it one day. Honestly, never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be stepping onto the Strictly dance floor. When I saw the email saying I would be taking part this year, it was just an incredible moment.”

Her list of standout moments is long, but comedian Chris McCausland, who achieved glory last year with professional Dianne Buswell, holds a few of the top spots. The 2022 Glitterball winners Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał are also up there and, despite her nerves, Karen is absolutely buzzing to try and achieve her own memorable “moments”.

“I absolutely loved Chris and Dianne. I lived in the same block as Chris a few years ago, and obviously, he’s a football fan. I was so invested in both of them, I wanted to see Dianne’s parents in the live audience watching them both.

“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”.

Inevitably, Karen has already been tasked by one of the other celebrities with bringing in a football for some breaktime kickabouts — and Karen is more than happy to oblige. “It’s just a lovely bunch this year. Vicky is so down-to-earth and she’s got really good energy,” she grins. “She always comes to me and says, ‘Are you OK?’ and I’m like, ‘Yes I’m OK, but are you OK?!’

“Ross King also cracks me up. He asked me to bring in a ball, so I said I’d bring in a mini ball, because it’ll keep me calm too, so we’ll be messing around and playing football when we can.”

Karen has also been getting plenty of support from famous friends, including a few former Strictly contestants. There’s even an unofficial “supporters’ group” for her, made up of Clare Balding, Ellie Simmonds, Anneka Rice and Sara Davies.

“They were all at a cricketing event I was invited to recently by Clare, and I just had to get a photo with them because they’d all done the show,” she says, laughing. “They were all so kind about it. Sara actually said to me, ‘Here’s my number in case you ever need anything.’ She said I would do the same for someone in future, so I’d pass it forward. It was such a kind thing to do.”

Karen’s professional senior career started at Birmingham City in 2001, (she joined them as a youth player aged 11), where she made her FA Women’s Premier League National Division debut aged 14. She went on to play for Arsenal and the Chicago Red Stars in the US, before returning to Birmingham City, and then finishing her playing career at Chelsea.

Well, she’s clearly a whizz with a football, but does Karen think that her fancy footwork will give her an advantage in the Strictly ballroom? “I definitely don’t have the grace, that’s something I’m going to have to learn,” she says, laughing. “The stamina? I don’t know. It’s a very different type of fitness and training. I don’t work out in heels, so that’s going to be a challenge!

“I’ve been retired for six years and I’ve probably chilled out for the last couple of those. I never thought I’d be taking part in Strictly , and I probably would have gotten fitter if I’d known. I’m just not going to put any pressure on myself, I want to enjoy the experience.”

For Karen, it’s as much about what she calls “the journey” as it is about the destination — and possible Glitterball triumph. She admits that she has already been caught off-guard by some unexpected moments of emotion. And while showing the softer side of herself doesn’t happen easily for her, she’s determined to keep her guard down and embrace every emotion, good or bad.

“The one thing I’ve always said about my football career is that it went so fast. I’m mad at myself because there are moments I know I didn’t enjoy enough, I was so focused on winning and trying to be the best, and always thinking about the next game, that I didn’t always live in the moment and really take it all in.

“So I’ve made a promise to myself that I’ll enjoy every moment, even though I know there’ll be challenges and highs and lows.”

* Follow Mirror Celebs onSnapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook, andThreads.