Karen Carney breaks record for first time in Strictly Come Dancing history

Karen Carney has made history after securing her place in the final of Strictly Come Dancing.

Last night’s semi-final saw Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon become the last couple to waltz out of the ballroom in an extremely emotional episode.

After landing themselves in the dance-off against Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, Balvinder’s luck run out despite her stellar dance-off record.

But for former Arsenal and England footballer Karen, who has watched Strictly for years, the night marked a moment of history.

The 38-year-old, who was capped 144 times for her country, has become the first footballer to ever make it through to the final.

England stars Paul Merson, Tony Adams, and David James all failed to make it to Blackpool, while Alex Scott’s fifth-place finish in 2018 remains the best performance from a former footballer.

Karen’s stellar semi-final performance now means she is the first Strictly finalist from the world of sport since the 2006 winner, former cricketer Mark Ramprakash, as well as England rugby star Michael Dawson, who was the runner-up that year.

Speaking to Metro earlier this week, Karen revealed how she ‘sometimes lacks self-belief’ but has ‘never given up’.

‘I dreamed about being on Strictly, and I thought it would never come true. I’ve watched this competition for so many years, and I’ve loved it, and I feel gifted and honoured to be in it,’ she told Metro.

‘I had no idea that footballers didn’t perform as well as other professions on Strictly – maybe I’ve been quite naïve,.

‘But I’ve not thought about footballers and how far they’ve gone in the competition because everyone’s really different. I’m just focusing on me.’

In last night’s semi-final, Karen wowed the judges with a waltz to Whitney Houston’s hit One Moment In Time.

Following her performance, she broke down in tears before the judges gave their scores.

She will be joined by Amber and Nikita as well as George Clarke and Alexis Warr.

The grand final of Strictly 2025 airs next Saturday, concluding Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s tenure as hosts.

But it appears the duo are already becoming emotional after Claudia was seen sobbing following a celebration of their 20-year tenure.

Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke, and Motsi Mabuse surprised the pair with a best-bits montage, taking viewers on a trip down memory lane before the broadcasters bow out of the ballroom for good.

The highlights reel began with some serious throwback footage (and hairstyles) of Tess hosting Strictly with the late, great Sir Bruce Forsyth, before Claudia became her right-hand woman in 2014.

Claudia, 53, and Tess, 56, were then treated to personal messages from the panel, with Shirley declaring them ‘magic’ together and Motsi praising how ‘welcoming’ they were when she became a judge.

Strictly Come Dancing’s 2025 final airs next Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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