Former England footballer and sports presenter Karen Carney has been announced as the fourteenth celebrity contestant for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. The show will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.
Carney, who played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Birmingham City and England, earning 144 caps, is the third most-capped player in England's history. She competed in four World Cups, four European Championships and the London Olympics before retiring in 2019. She now works as a lead female pundit for TNT and ITV.
Beyond her playing and broadcasting career, Carney has been 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 backed by the government in 2023. She also hosted the ITV series Leaders of the Pack and made history at the 2022 men's World Cup as part of the first all-female line-up to analyse a men's football game.
Carney was awarded an MBE in 2017 and an OBE in 2024 for services to football. She also co-hosts the Long Story Short podcast with fellow England alumni Jill Scott.
On joining the show, Carney said: "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."
