Karen Carney tipped to win Strictly Glitterball trophy after remarkable comeback

Karen Carney is tipped to win the 2025 Glitterball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing, with bookmakers listing her as the outright favorite ahead of finalists George Stark and Amber Davies. The former England Lioness, who earned 144 caps as a winger and midfielder, has transformed her public persona from elite footballer to television pundit and crowd favorite on the long-running BBC ballroom competition. Her journey off the dance floor has been marked by personal struggles, which she has begun to address openly as she marches toward the final rounds.

During week eight of the competition, Carney spoke about her spine condition, Scheuermann's disease, and how it has shaped her approach to dancing. The condition causes curvature at the top of the spine, a factor she says has limited certain movements but not her resolve. "I always knew I’d find a way. I just won’t be able to do certain things. Sometimes it was disheartening when I played and it did impact my career, but I just got on with it," she told The Telegraph. The discussion underscored how her long career—spent hours in treatment for the disease—has informed her attitude toward the ballroom. A women’s sport and health performance specialist, Eva Woods, helped sustain her through the years, reinforcing the message that perseverance can coexist with physical limitation.

Despite early doubts about her dancing, Carney has emerged as a surprise favorite, buoyed in part by a devoted fan base and a compelling life story. The former Arsenal and Chicago Red Stars standout was among the sport’s most celebrated players, and after retiring in 2019 she turned to punditry with TNT Sports and Sky Sports. Her online following surged, with an estimated 71,000 new Instagram followers accrued since her Strictly debut, reflecting the broader public interest in her journey from underdog to front-runner. She also marked the season by incorporating personal touches into her performances, including dedicating a dance to her inspiring mother and to her football career, underscoring the way her personal narrative has become inseparable from her on-screen presence.

Carney’s path to this point has been punctuated by difficult personal milestones. Following a knee injury early in her career with the Chicago Red Stars, she said she slipped into depression and began self-harming before developing an addiction to sleeping pills. She described the period as the hardest of her life and credits the intervention of friends, her former manager Emma Hayes, and a return to England for support with helping her move forward. "I came back purely to… save my life, pretty much," she recalled, adding that those around her helped her fight through a period of severe vulnerability. Later speaking with The Guardian, she emphasized the ongoing nature of recovery and the importance of resilience.

The pressures extended beyond the pitch. As a pundit, Carney endured harsh online abuse that at times led to suicidal thoughts. She has spoken about receiving sexist and hateful messages in 2020, which culminated in her deleting her social media presence for a period. In 2021, she publicly discussed how the abuse affected her mental health, describing it as a crushing experience that challenged her confidence. She has since used Strictly to rebuild her confidence and to demonstrate that performance on television can be separated from the vitriol found online. In interviews with Women’s Health UK, she reiterated that the goal of her Strictly run was to show resilience and to set an example for others facing dark periods to seek help and persevere.

Carney’s trajectory on Strictly—marked by openness about health, recovery, and the realities of public scrutiny—has aligned with a broader narrative about empowerment and second chances in sport and media. While the glitterball trophy is not yet won, bookmakers have priced her as the 8/13 favorite, with George Stark trailing at 6/4. The odds reflect not only her skill on the dance floor but the sympathy and support generated by her story of overcoming adversity. As the show continues, Carney’s supporters point to the progress she has made since joining the competition and her ability to connect with viewers beyond the studio.

The narrative surrounding Karen Carney is one of resilience forged in high-stakes sport, media glare, and personal hardship. Her participation on Strictly has broadened audience appreciation for her as a person and as a performer, with fans watching closely to see how far she can go in this season’s Glitterball race. Regardless of the outcome, her public celebration of overcoming trauma, managing health challenges, and continuing to compete at a high level stands as a testament to a career defined by persistence more than precognition, and to a life pursuing excellence despite substantial obstacles.