Former England footballer and Strictly Come Dancing star Karen Carney has bravely opened up about the devastating online abuse that shattered her confidence when she became one of the first female football pundits.
From the Pitch to the Pundit's Chair
The Birmingham-born sports star, who now impresses on the Strictly dance floor, heartbreakingly described how the torrent of negativity, particularly one severe instance, caused her to completely break down. She revealed that the experience stripped her of all her self-assurance, which she had been unable to reclaim until her stint on the BBC dance show.
Speaking candidly on Saturday night's programme, Karen was moved to tears as she recounted her encounters with online trolls. "When I went into punditry I always felt a little bit of an outsider if I'm being brutally honest," she shared. "There weren't many, if any, women pundits at the time."
A Heartbreaking Transformation
Laura Bassett, Karen's former Lioness teammate, provided a powerful testimony to the impact of the abuse. She commented on witnessing her "effervescent, fun, full of life friend crumble and break down and question themselves," describing the situation as truly heartbreaking.
This stands in stark contrast to the Karen viewers see on Strictly Come Dancing, where her perfect-scoring Couple's Choice dance has positioned her as a frontrunner for the Glitterball Trophy. Her stellar performance earned a top score of 40 from the judges, who were unanimous in their praise.
Finding Strength on the Dance Floor
Reflecting on her transformative Strictly journey, Karen shared a message of hope: "It's helped my confidence so much. I can be my true authentic self." This newfound confidence marks a significant turnaround for the athlete, who dedicated her latest dance to her mother, Marie, for supporting her football dreams from a young age.
Marie recalled a time when a young Karen had run off the pitch in tears because the boys wouldn't pass the ball to her, simply for being a girl. Despite this early adversity, Karen persevered, making her first-team debut for Birmingham City and eventually playing for England.
Now, heading into the quarter-finals, Karen sits in second place on the leaderboard. Head Judge Shirley Ballas became emotional, stating, "I love a strong woman... you really have put yourself in with a shot at this whole Strictly Come Dancing whole thing." Craig Revel Horwood declared her dance had "got you into the Champions League," while Motsi Mabuse congratulated her for having "knocked it out of the park."
