Strictly Come Dancing's Karen Carney's secret dance past revealed

Footballer Karen Carney left Strictly Come Dancing fans stunned with her performance on the weekend. Karen and professional dance partner Carlos Gu's Jive to One Way or Another wowed the audiences in the studio and at home.

However, fans of the BBC show may not know that Karen has a huge dance past - and actually danced for years as a child, before turning to her beloved football and progressing in her sports career.

In an old interview with the FA, she said: "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."

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As part of her dance training, Karen would perfect her routines for three hours every Saturday and also revealed she took part in "big events" on a Sunday whilst she was at school in the week.

"When I got a bit older and my football matches switched to a Sunday, I had some choices to make," she said, "I decided to give up dancing when I was 15. My agility, my strength, my power and how I move my feet during a match are all definitely down to dancing, 100 per cent. I was quite little but I was quite strong and that was because all the dancing made my muscles stronger."

In an exclusive interview with OK!, Karen revealed she was keen to show a different side of her.

She said: "The challenge for me will be trying to show the real version of me, and not getting shy or awkward, or insular. A lot of people will have seen me in the football environment, and it’s quite intense. My feeling is that people perceive me in a certain way — that I’m very... serious. But that’s not really accurate!

"I want people to see the warm side of me. The kind, caring team player. I’m actually quite awkward, and nervous. But I’m also really daft and funny, and I probably just want to bring the other version of Karen, not the footballer Karen.

"Everyone I know who’s been on Strictly has told me not to be too hard on myself. If it was football, I’d be absolutely critical of myself, but this isn’t my thing, it’s the pros’ thing — and I’m humbled and privileged to be on the show."

Karen has also become firm friends with her fellow Strictly stars, including Vicky Pattison. She revealed: "It’s just a lovely bunch this year. Vicky is so down-to-earth and she’s got really good energy,” she grins. “She always comes to me and says, ‘Are you OK?’ and I’m like, ‘Yes I’m OK, but are you OK?!’

"Ross King also cracks me up. He asked me to bring in a ball, so I said I’d bring in a mini ball, because it’ll keep me calm too, so we’ll be messing around and playing football when we can."

Karen is now one of the favourites to win, with odds for the footballer rising from 16/1 to 5/1.

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