Karen Carney's mobility challenge on Strictly Come Dancing
Karen Carney has admitted her movement on Strictly Come Dancing is "very restrictive" because of her spinal problems.
Karen Carney's movement on Strictly Come Dancing is "very restrictive" because of her spinal problems.
The 38-year-old former footballer - who is partnered by Carlos Gu on the show - has Schuermann's disease, which has caused a curved spine, and though it has been a "challenge" to "adapt" for the show, she's doing her best and focused on having fun.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I've always remained that I'm happy, I'm healthy, and it's never stopped me from doing what I want to do,” she says.
“I just want to show that I might not be the perfect dancer. I will not have the perfect posture, but I'll certainly give it my best. Dancing is always about joy; it's how much fun you have and how much joy you can bring to the audience.
“I think if you can achieve that, that's the whole point.
“I've had it for years and I coped with it in football. I adapted and found a way.
“So it's a challenge for me to adapt and find ways in something that's very unfamiliar to me in the dancing world. But I think we've had some really good advice and really good support to try and make that easier for me and we work on it.
“My back is very stiff, mobility-wise it's very restrictive and I'll be open and honest about that. But it doesn't mean I won't try and work on things, it doesn't mean I won't try and help improve my mobility and Carlos has been very, very, very supportive, emotionally as well, to try and help me.”
The former Lionesses star has learned a lot about herself thanks to her time on Strictly.
She said: “I’m learning more about myself than I have in five or six years, from literally being on this show and understanding certain things about me.
“I need to keep working on my confidence and I'm actually a really sensitive soul. I think being in football, I have had to be strong. I have had to put on and be this person because it's a quite hard industry, you have to be strong.
“But actually, I'm quite a sensitive soul, and I probably lack a little bit of confidence.”
Saturday's (01.11.25) show will see Karen and Carlos perform an argentine Tango to the Peaky Blinders theme tune, Nick Cave's Red Right Hand, and she admitted she feels "massively" out of her comfort zone.
Karen said: "I'm massively out of my comfort zone.
"I don't look comfortable, I don't feel comfortable, but don't take yourself too seriously and I'll give it my best shot."
