Karen Carney's dance past exposed by ex-Strictly pro Ola Jordan: 'Everyone is hiding that she has danced before'
She has previously admitted to taking part in hip-hop competitions as a teen
Karen Carney has come in for fierce backlash over her dance past from ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro Ola Jordan.
While Lewis Cope and Amber Davies’ dance training has been often spoken about, former Lioness Karen’s hasn’t. In her interviews after signing up for Strictly, Karen admitted she used to breakdance on nights out with the England team. But she insisted she didn’t have any Latin or ballroom training.
However, Ola Jordan has clearly been digging. And she has told Mecca Bingo that it “bothers” her that Karen’s dance past is being ‘hidden’ on the BBC dance show…
Strictly star Karen Carney’s dance past called out
Speaking about Karen’s Couple’s Choice routine, which featured a break-out breakdance section, Ola said: “It was a great dance for Karen. It’s almost like it was made for her. Obviously, in Couple’s Choice, there’s no real technique involved, compared to a Rumba or a Jive. So it’s very hard to compare it to something like a rumba.
“But what really grates on me is that no one is mentioning that she has danced before. It really, really bothers me. Because everyone would mention Lewis and Amber and, to a point, Carlos in the live show said: ‘She’s never danced before.’ Well, you’re lying. Don’t lie. She has danced before to the point that she did hip-hop competitions. So to me, that is a semi-professional.
“Yes, it’s so clear that Lewis danced before, yes, it’s so clear that Amber danced before – but everyone is hiding that Karen danced before. It bothers me, because it’s not fair on the others.
“The reason she was able to do all those great things in the routine… You can’t teach that in a week, trust me. I know, I’ve been there, so it bothers me.”
Her comments come after Ola’s husband James Jordan declared that Karen “hasn’t got a hope in hell” of making the Strictly final.
View this post on Instagram
‘They don’t talk about the training she’s had’
When it comes to this year’s winner, Ola really doesn’t want Karen to lift the show’s Glitterball Trophy.
“I want the best dancer to win, so for me, Amber, Lewis… even George. Obviously, people are warming to Karen a lot, they’re voting, they’re picking up the phone. Maybe she’s getting a lot of votes, and that’s why the BBC is trying to cheer her on and give her the right dances at the right time. Maybe the BBC wants her to win. But I would still like one of the others to win over her.
“They made such a big deal of Lewis having dance training and Amber having dance training that I feel people are going to go for the underdog, Karen. And this is what drives me mad. Everyone is saying: ‘Oh no, she’s never danced before.’ She has. She’s done hip-hop competitions. Come on.
“So that really upsets me, because it upsets me for the others. They work hard. And you know, like Carlos saying: ‘Oh, she’s worked so hard.’ Well, so have the others. It just frustrates me. And people buy into it: ‘Karen is amazing, she’s brilliant.’ But they don’t talk about the training she’s had.”
Karen on her dancing past
When she signed up for the 2025 series of Strictly, Karen said she did “a little bit of hip-hop” as a youngster.
“I think the breakdancing was when we used to go out on nights out with the team and I was forced into dancing-off with other people in the nightclub.
“I’ve definitely never done Latin or ballroom or any of the dances that we’re going to do. So it’s certainly a new challenge for me but I’m up for it, it’s so much fun.”
However, speaking previously, Karen admitted: “It wasn’t until I moved to Steptoes Dance School in Halesowen when I was 12 that things got more serious and I started going three or four times a week. It was there that I started to compete in some big events.
“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. We did loads of different routines and genres of music; street dancing, hip-hop, disco, rock ‘n roll, slow dancing, team dances, everything. But when I started doing football and dancing, things got a bit hectic.
“I’d dance competitively on a Sunday, too. So when I got a bit older and my football matches switched to a Sunday, I had some choices to make. I decided to give up dancing when I was 15.”
We have contacted the BBC and Karen’s reps for right of reply.
Read more: Karen Carney admits Strictly Come Dancing has helped her heal following online abuse
