Karen Carney, the 38-year-old former England football star and ITV’s leading female sports presenter, has bravely opened up about a hidden spine condition that significantly impacted her performance on Strictly Come Dancing. The revelation came as she tackled the challenges of ballroom dancing, where her curved spine made achieving the perfect posture a near-impossible feat.
Ahead of her Tango performance to Dua Lipa’s “Training Season” on Saturday, 4 October, alongside professional partner Carlos Gu, Carney shared the physical struggles she faces. “There’s certain elements I won’t be able to do as well as I’d like to,” she admitted, explaining how her condition makes it “really hard” to open up her posture for the elegant lines required in ballroom dances.
Despite her best efforts, Carney’s Tango earned her 20 points from the Strictly judges—a sharp drop from the sensational 31 points she scored for her leaderboard-topping Jive in week one. The judges’ critiques focused heavily on her posture. Motsi Mabuse noted, “It’s going to be a challenge to stretch and open up. There’s a certain ballroom posture that we need,” advising Carney to “think about breathing” to relax. Head judge Shirley Ballas observed that Carney appeared “a little bit closed in” and suggested leaning further into Gu’s right side. Craig Revel-Horwood emphasized the need for a “wide frame” in a Tango.
The judges’ comments sparked backlash from some viewers, who labeled them as ableist. One fan vented on X, “She literally can’t do anything about it and they were like oh well, find a way. Awful.” Despite the criticism, Carney took it in stride, drawing on her experience as a professional footballer. “I’m used to constructive criticism,” she said. “I want to be better. I tried my hardest. That’s all you can do in life.”
During an appearance on It Takes Two with host Fleur East, Carney elaborated on her struggle. “It’s a real physical challenge,” she confessed. “Like, it’s really, really hard. I have a posture aid.” Her partner, Carlos Gu, explained further: “Her spine is curved in, so she can’t fully open, not with her shoulder but her spine.” A posture aid, a harness strapped across the upper back, helps train her muscles by engaging the nervous system, but it’s no quick fix for the demands of ballroom dancing.
Carney’s resilience shines through, shaped by an illustrious football career. A former star for Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City, and the Lionesses, she is England’s third most-capped player, having competed in four World Cups, four European Championships, and the 2012 London Olympics. Retiring in 2019, she was honored with an MBE in 2017 and an OBE in 2024 for her services to football.
Carney’s journey on Strictly is a testament to her determination to push past physical limitations, proving that even when the odds are stacked against her, she’s ready to give it her all. As she continues to dazzle on the dancefloor, her story is one of courage, grit, and an unyielding drive to shine—spine condition or not.