The former England footballer has opened up about her mental health struggles and how Strictly Come Dancing has been ‘rebuilding’ her with positivity
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu (Image: PA)
Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Carney has bravely opened up about her past struggles with mental health, revealing she once battled suicidal thoughts due to online abuse. The former footballer, who is currently partnered with professional dancer Carlos Gu on the popular BBC show, had a stint with US team Chicago Red Stars in 2009 but was forced to take a break following a knee operation.
During her recovery period, Karen confessed to developing an addiction to sleeping pills and resorting to self-harm. “I was in a pretty bad way,” she admitted.
“I think that has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome.”
She revealed that it was her coach Emma Hayes who encouraged her to return to the UK, despite having another year left on her contract.
“I came back purely to … save my life,” Karen shared with The Guardian. With the support of her friends, she managed to pull herself out of the dark place she was in, eventually ending her career on a high note, reports the Mirror.
She became the third most-capped England player in history, making 144 appearances for the Lionesses across four World Cups, four European Championships and the London 2012 Olympics.
Since hanging up her boots, Karen has established herself as one of the UK’s top football pundits, working with TNT Sports and ITV. In 2022, she led the UK government’s landmark review into the future of women’s football.
Her contributions to the sport have been recognised with an MBE in 2017 and an OBE in 2024.
However, her punditry career has presented significant challenges, particularly regarding the impact of social media commentary. During her playing days, she had already endured appalling abuse, including posts wishing “cancer, leukaemia and rape” on her.
In December 2020, Karen made the decision to delete her Twitter (now X) account following thousands of abusive and sexist messages after remarks she made about Leeds United. Whilst working on Amazon Prime during their 5-0 victory against West Brom, she had praised Leeds but expressed concern they could “blow up at the end of the season.”
She added: “I actually think they got promoted because of Covid in terms of it gave them a bit of respite.”
Visibly emotional, Karen told The Guardian: “That 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.”
She described the online abuse as feeling “like the whole world was caving in on me.”
She continued: “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
Despite this, she remains committed to commentating on men’s matches, describing her love of football as “the greatest gift” ever given to her. Since the abuse, she has become hypervigilant, conducts extensive research and prepares thoroughly to avoid errors – and she now restricts who can comment on her Instagram posts.
Karen has expressed that her Strictly journey has been a process of “rebuilding” herself, as she has been showered with so much “positivity” that it has left her feeling “overwhelmed” in recent weeks. She also commended Carlos for boosting her confidence throughout her journey, stating that he is “unapologetically himself”, which inspires her to give her best and be true to herself.
This Saturday, they are set to grace the dance floor with a Couples Choice routine to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.
