Karen Carney confirmed for Strictly
Sports presenter and legendary Lioness Karen Carney is the fourteenth celebrity to be announced for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
A head and shoulders shot of Karen Carney, wearing a beige linen-style shirt, smiling at the camera against a glittering blue background.
“It really is a dream come true to be a part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line up. 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!”
— Karen Carney
Karen Carney is the fourteenth celebrity to be announced for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. The multi-award-winning entertainment show will return this September.
Karen is a former footballer who played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City, and England, and is now the lead female pundit for both men’s and women’s football across TNT and ITV.
With 144 caps, Karen is England’s third most-capped player, competing at four World Cups, four European Championships, and the London Olympics before retiring in 2019. Beyond her playing and broadcasting career, Karen is a trailblazer for women in sport. In 2022, she led a government review into the ‘Future of Women’s Football’ in the UK, with all recommendations successfully backed by the government in 2023. In the same year, she hosted the ITV series Leaders of the Pack, having candid conversations with key figures in women’s international football.
Karen also made history at the men’s World Cup 2022 as part of the first all-female team to analyse a men’s football game. In summer 2024, she led ITV’s coverage of the men’s Euros, including the final between England and Spain, and covered the Lionesses’ historic women’s Euro wins in 2022 and 2025. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 and an OBE in 2024 for services to association football.
She co-hosts the Long Story Short podcast with fellow England alumni and best friend Jill Scott, exploring the stories of their friendship through their football careers and beyond.
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Karen says:
“It really is a dream come true to be a part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line up. 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!"
The announcement was made on Vernon Kay’s BBC Radio 2 show, guest hosted by Gary Davies.
Strictly Come Dancing is a BBC Studios Entertainment production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It was commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC. The Executive Producer is Sarah James, with Series Editors Nicola Fitzgerald and Jack Gledhill. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Jo Wallace.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn.