A former Strictly Come Dancing professional has sparked controversy by publicly challenging the perceived backstory of this year's glitterball champion, Karen Carney.
Live TV Allegations Over Dance History
James Jordan, 47, who appeared on the BBC dance competition between 2006 and 2013, made the surprise remarks during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning. He directly addressed what he called the "false narrative" surrounding the 2025 winner.
Jordan revealed that Carney had danced in street dance from the age of three until 16 and had competed, information he felt contradicted her portrayal as a complete novice. "The narrative we were led to believe was that she was a non-dancer," he stated.
"Training Stays With You"
When host Ed Balls suggested that Carney's training was merely a childhood activity, Jordan insisted its impact was lasting. "If you train as a child, it stays in you. That's the time when you want to learn it," he argued, as reported by the Mirror.
He pointed to her week-one performance as evidence, saying, "She did the double-spin in the air and landed it. None of us can do that." Jordan clarified he thought Carney and her partner Carlos were brilliant and was happy for their win, but stressed, "please don't think you can be that good and not be a trained dancer."
Calls for Fairness and a "Handicap System"
The ex-pro expressed sympathy for other contestants, saying he had wanted George to win due to his lack of training, and felt sorry for Amber who was "getting such a hard time being trolled" despite being a trained dancer herself.
Jordan concluded by questioning the level playing field on a show supposedly about transforming non-dancers. "Maybe there needs to be a handicap system to help the people who aren't trained dancers," he suggested, adding that while no one wants to watch 15 poor dancers, untrained celebrities deserved more help to compete fairly.
