Karen has previously spoken about dancing as a child

After Karen Carney set the Strictly dance floor alight on Saturday night with her stunning Couple’s Choice, questions have been raised about her ‘hidden’ dance past.

While Lewis Cope and Amber Davies’ dance training has often been mentioned on the show, former Lioness Karen’s hasn’t. In her interviews after signing up for Strictly, Karen admitted she used to breakdance on nights out with the England team. But she insisted she didn’t have any Latin or ballroom training.

However, ex-Strictly pro Ola Jordan has clearly been digging. And she has told Mecca Bingo that it “bothers” her that Karen’s dance past is being ‘hidden’ on the BBC dance show…
Karen Carney danced a spectacular Couple’s Choice on Strictly over the weekend (Credit: BBC)

Strictly star Karen Carney’s dance past called out

Speaking about Karen’s Couple’s Choice routine, Ola said: “It was a great dance for Karen. It’s almost like it was made for her. Obviously, in Couple’s Choice, there’s no real technique involved. So it’s very hard to compare it to something like a rumba.

“But what really grates on me is that no one is mentioning that she has danced before. It really, really bothers me. Because everyone would mention Lewis and Amber and, to a point, Carlos in the live show said: ‘She’s never danced before.’ Well, you’re lying. Don’t lie. She has danced before to the point that she did hip-hop competitions. So to me, that is a semi-professional.

“Yes, it’s so clear that Lewis danced before, yes, it’s so clear that Amber danced before – but everyone is hiding that Karen danced before. It bothers me, because it’s not fair on the others.

“The reason she was able to do all those great things in the routine… You can’t teach that in a week, trust me. I know, I’ve been there, so it bothers me.”
Strictly pro Carlos Gu has been full of praise for partner Karen Carney (Credit: BBC)

‘They don’t talk about the training she’s had’

When it comes to this year’s winner, Ola really doesn’t want Karen to lift the show’s Glitterball Trophy.

“I want the best dancer to win, so for me, Amber, Lewis… even George. Obviously, people are warming to Karen a lot, they’re voting, they’re picking up the phone. Maybe she’s getting a lot of votes, and that’s why the BBC is trying to cheer her on and give her the right dances at the right time. Maybe the BBC wants her to win. But I would still like one of the others to win over her.

“They made such a big deal of Lewis having dance training and Amber having dance training that I feel people are going to go for the underdog, Karen. And this is what drives me mad. Everyone is saying: ‘Oh no, she’s never danced before.’ She has. She’s done hip-hop competitions. Come on.

“So that really upsets me, because it upsets me for the others. They work hard. And you know, like Carlos saying: ‘Oh, she’s worked so hard.’ Well, so have the others. It just frustrates me. And people buy into it: ‘Karen is amazing, she’s brilliant.’ But they don’t talk about the training she’s had.”

Ola’s husband James Jordan has previously shared that he doesn’t think Karen will make this year’s final.

Karen’s breakdancing section surprised viewers on Saturday night (Credit: BBC)

Karen on her dancing past

When she signed up for the 2025 series of Strictly, Karen said she did “a little bit of hip-hop” as a youngster.

“I think the breakdancing was when we used to go out on nights out with the team and I was forced into dancing-off with other people in the nightclub,”she quipped.

However, speaking previously, Karen admitted her dance past was actually a lot more involved than that.

She said: “It wasn’t until I moved to Steptoes Dance School in Halesowen when I was 12 that things got more serious and I started going three or four times a week. It was there that I started to compete in some big events.

“I enjoyed football when I was a kid and had loads of kickabouts. But I didn’t join my first club until I was 11. Until then, it was all about dancing for me. We did loads of different routines and genres of music; street dancing, hip-hop, disco, rock ‘n roll, slow dancing, team dances, everything. But when I started doing football and dancing, things got a bit hectic.”

Karen added that she would “dance competitively on a Sunday”. But said she was forced to give up dancing when she was 15, as her footballing career took priority.

ED! has contacted the BBC and Karen’s reps for right of reply.

Read more: Karen Carney admits Strictly Come Dancing has helped her heal following online abuse