Former Lioness and journalist Karen Carney has revealed that winning Strictly Come Dancing last year took her six months to recover from, admitting the finale was a blur and she was running on pure adrenaline throughout the experience.
Carney, who was partnered with professional dancer Carlos Gu, said she never thought she would make it past Week One or Two. The call to join the show came with a very quick turnaround, leaving her only days to decide before rehearsals began. She asked herself how she would feel if she turned it down, and knew she would regret it for the rest of her life, so she gave a resounding 'yes'.
Intense training and physical demands
The training was full-on and intense, pushing Carney physically and mentally more than she had ever been pushed in her life. She and Gu trained for eight hours a day, Monday to Thursday, starting at 8:00am, dancing until lunch, and dancing again all afternoon, with possible filming or appearances on It Takes Two. Fridays were spent at the studio doing run-throughs, and Saturdays were the live show, dancing and prepping right up until going onstage.
Although she was a professional footballer, Carney said she was not really fit, having been retired for six or seven years. Dancing was a different ballgame. She needed to learn each week's routine by Tuesday to feel comfortable, then run it repeatedly on Wednesday and Thursday. The Rumba made her feel like she had lifted 100kg every day, while the tango and waltz challenged her back, arms and upper body, and the jive was a full-body workout.
Learning and sensory challenges
Carney described the experience as a joy and a privilege, and credited Gu for focusing on the fundamentals, particularly for rumba and cha cha. He had her do walking laps of the room holding a roll of toilet paper in front of her to keep her upper body still, and filmed her walking to discuss her technique.
During the show she did nothing football related, fully committing to dancing, and everyone she worked with was hugely supportive. She was constantly learning new things about herself, including being sensitive to the feel of certain costumes, having hair move in her face, and wearing different shoes like high heels, which really bothered her.
Passing on the trophy
Since she cannot really remember the final, Carney's highlight was the semi-final, where she and Gu had to do two very difficult dances, the waltz and the salsa, giving a huge sense of achievement and relief. Now it is time for her to pass on the Glitterball Trophy, and she says it is impossible to say who will make it to the final this year, as Strictly is a marathon. She wants to champion everyone doing it, noting the standard is incredible following last week's live show.
Carney also commented on the three new presenters, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, saying they are all lovely people and need time to form their own chemistry, individuality and team cohesion. She noted it is an incredibly difficult job to follow Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and that the room for error with live TV is miniscule, but the new presenters have their own individual specialities that will become visible over time.
Carney admitted she is sad she has not kept up her dancing, and that she only recovered over the summer. She would love to go to a dance class at some point, but does not want to walk in and have everyone think she won Strictly. She and Gu are still in touch and text all the time, and she says she had an incredible experience, learned a lot, grew a lot, met amazing people and made memories she will treasure forever. Now it is someone else's new experience, and she cannot wait to see who will take home the Glitterball Trophy in December.
