Strictly star praises Karen Carney as 'strongest contender to win' as competition strengthens
'It's fairer to reward someone who genuinely started from zero'Strictly Come Dancing star Vincent Simone has insisted that Karen Carney is the one to watch this year as a potential winner.
Last weekend, the competition waved goodbye to Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe after the couple landed in the bottom two alongside Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.
Now, just five couples remain, and it could be anyone’s game. But, according to Vincent, the 2025 series has a strong contender on their hands…
Strictly star Karen Carney is the ‘strongest contender to win’
Last weekend, Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin and Katya Jones and Lewis Cope placed first and second on the leaderboard, respectively.
On Saturday night (November 29), the judges gave both Amber and Karen a perfect score of 10 across the board. Lewis, on the other hand, received 9s.
Vincent, who competed on the hit BBC show between 2006 and 2012, told TV Guide that while Amber and Lewis “have been outstanding from the start”, there is an underdog this series.
“Karen looks like the strongest contender to win the show at the moment,” he told TV Guide on behalf of Paddy Power.
“Yes, Lewis and Amber have the advantage of musical theatre training and have been outstanding from the start. But Karen is a footballer with no real dance background, and the standard she’s reached is remarkable.”
Vincent insisted that the “public may feel it’s fairer to reward someone who genuinely started from zero and has improved so much.”
‘What she managed was impressive’
After landing in the bottom two for a fifth time on Sunday, Balvinder beat the record previously held by singer Jamelia, who was eliminated during her fifth dance-off in 2015.
Vincent explained why he believes the judges have continuously saved her throughout the series.
“Considering Balvinder only had one full day to learn that routine because of her EastEnders schedule, what she managed was impressive. The steps were difficult, and she still mastered the bounce action of the jive,” Vincent said.
“What gets her through is the way she performs – the acting, confidence, and her commitment. That proves that performance can outweigh the technique. She simply sells it better than others, and that’s what got her through yet again,” he continued.
