Strictly Come Dancing champions Karen Carney and Carlos Gu have taken their winning partnership to a new, permanent level by getting matching tattoos. The duo, who recently lifted the coveted Glitterball Trophy, have inked their friendship and shared success onto their skin in a touching tribute.
A Permanent Celebration of Partnership
The 39-year-old former Lioness footballer and her 33-year-old professional dance partner Carlos Gu revealed their new body art on social media. Karen Carney took to Instagram to share the news with her followers, posting a simple yet telling caption: "We did a thing..." followed by a series of expressive emojis. The design features a delicate heart and butterflies, with Karen sporting the tattoo on her torso while Carlos has the identical artwork on his wrist.
Celebrity Reactions and Fan Adoration
The announcement sparked an outpouring of admiration from fellow celebrities and fans alike. In the comments section of the post, television presenter Angela Scanlon, a former Strictly contestant herself, enthusiastically wrote: "LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TWO!" Carlos's fellow professional dancers from the show also joined in, with Gorka Marquez commenting "Love it" and Amy Dowden adding "Loves it xxx".
Karen's former England teammate Beth Mead simply penned "Cute," while fans flooded the post with heartfelt messages. One supporter exclaimed: "Omgggg yayy you guys actually did it," with another writing: "AWWW, love love love!" A third fan declared: "this is so special the best team ever!" showcasing the strong public affection for the winning pair.
The Inspirational Origin Story
Interestingly, the concept for the matching tattoos was born during a podcast recording before their Strictly victory. The idea was suggested by Karen's fellow Lioness and former teammate Jill Scott during an episode of their Long Story Short podcast, where Carlos was a guest.
During that conversation, Carlos had expressed his dream for their partnership, stating: "I wanna turn her from caterpillar into butterfly so if we are lucky enough to make it that far, I hope all the people can see the transformation she had and how beautiful and graceful she will be. That would be my dream."
Jill Scott responded to this heartfelt sentiment by proposing: "That was really sweet. I think if you both win it, when you both win it, you should get matching butterfly tattoos." Both Karen and Carlos immediately embraced the idea, exclaiming almost simultaneously: "I would do that!"
Reflecting on Their Glitterball Triumph
Following their victory over West End star Amber Davies and YouTuber George Clarke in the final, the pair appeared together on This Morning to discuss their remarkable achievement. Upon being announced as the first-ever footballer to win the Strictly title, an emotional Karen Carney said: "I can't believe it. I just want to say thank you to everybody that has supported our journey, and supported us."
Speaking directly about her partnership with Carlos, she added: "Thank you to this wonderful gentleman, we are a team and I couldn't have done it without you." This sentiment of mutual support and teamwork has now been permanently commemorated through their matching tattoos, serving as a lasting symbol of their Strictly Come Dancing journey and friendship.
