Strictly’s Karen Carney’s life away from the screen – from relationship status to addiction ordeal
Karen Carney has consistently wowed us over the weeks on Strictly Come Dancing, whether it was with her show-stopping Week 1 jive, or her jaw-dropping paso doble performed during last week’s Blackpool special.
This week, the 38-year-old will be dancing her Couple’s Choice to Born This Way, as well as having the extra challenge of the ‘Instant Dance’ challenge. But if she replicates some of her recent performances, she no doubt will be heading through to next week’s quarter-finals.
Before signing on for Strictly, Karen played with the Lionesses, representing the country at the 2012 Olympic Games, and when she retired in 2019, she was the second most capped player at the time. Following her time on the field, Karen got into punditry, and she broadcasts for the likes of ITV and Sky Sports.
Read on to find out all you need to know about the star, who is partnered with Carlos Gu…
Love life
Karen has kept her relationship status out of the spotlight, and it’s believed that the star is single.
However, in the past, she has been linked to Liesel Jolly, who helped Karen co-create the Second Half initiative, that assists women footballers in establishing careers after stepping away from the pitch. Neither have hinted that their relationship is anything other than professional.
© InstagramThe star has kept her personal life out of the spotlight
Dealing with trolls
Due to her role as a football pundit, Karen has been unfairly targeted by trolls, and the star has previously confessed that their comments have previously knocked her confidence.
She explained on Women’s Health’s Just as Well podcast: “So for me, if I’m next to someone like a Roy Keane or an Ian Wright, or whoever it might be, if they’re happy with me and they know I worked hard, they know I’ve done my research, they know I’ve done my prep, then that’s all that matters to me.”
© Getty ImagesKaren has been targeted because of her punditry career
She added: “The rest, I can’t control what people think about me. I genuinely can’t. I’ve had to just go with that mindset. But Jesus Christ, it has knocked my confidence.”
The sports star also told The Guardian in 2025: “That [trolls] crushed my confidence. It floored me as a human, completely floored me. I’ve never got over it. I’m more emotional about that than what I dealt with in America. I’ve not dealt with this.”
Addiction battle
While playing for the Chicago Red Stars, Karen had to briefly step away from the sport after picking up a knee injury. In an interview with The Guardian, the star explained that she ended up sinking into a depression and that she started self-harming, as well as becoming addicted to sleeping pills.
She told the publication: “I was in a pretty bad way. I think that has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome.” She revealed that her coach, Emma Haynes, urged her to return to the UK in order to focus on her recovery.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy LevyKaren opened up about low points in her life
Karen continued: “People around me dragged me through and I owed it to them to try and fight, and it’s an amazing feeling when you can get through that. It’s hard to talk about it, and I couldn’t have done it without people [around me].”
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