Strictly star Carlos Gu’s tough upbringing in authoritarian China where it was ‘hard to talk about his sexuality’ – as dancer is tipped to become the first openly gay and Asian pro winner

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All signs point to professional dancer Carlos Gu and his partner, former footballer Karen Carney, winning Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night.

The 32-year-old from Taiyuan, China is currently the frontrunner, with bookmakers giving him a 70% chance of winning. Expert Karen, 38, agrees he’s likely to succeed.

If he wins, he’ll make history as the first openly gay and Asian professional athlete to win the championship trophy.

Carlos has had an impressive career. He started dancing in his home country and became the Chinese National Latin Champion before joining the cast of Strictly in 2022.

Although Carlos appears to have a successful career, he’s shared that he had a difficult childhood.

He recently shared on Lorraine that moving to this country has allowed him to discover who he truly is. He explained that growing up gay in China was difficult and made it hard to be open about his identity.

‘You can’t tell a word in telly, public, no word.’ 

China doesn’t legally recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, and public opinion on LGBTQ+ relationships differs across the country.

He shared that living in the UK feels full of possibilities and allows him to appreciate the subtleties of life. He’s growing as a person and feels a sense of belonging, like he’s finally found home.

Carlos grew up without any siblings because of China’s one-child policy, and he shared his experience of coming out to his mother.

He shared that coming out to his mother was difficult for her, likely because she’s a single parent who raised him on her own.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have her in my life – she’s wonderfully supportive. When I shared my dream of moving to the UK and working on Strictly, she was completely on board, understanding it would make me happier.

Carlos is a highly accomplished dancer, having placed third at the German Open Championship and been named the runner-up for the UK’s Amateur Latin Rising Star award in 2017.

He competed on Strictly in 2022 with EastEnders actress Molly Rainford, and they were runners-up.

The next year he was with TV and radio presenter Angela Scanlon, where they placed sixth.

Oh my gosh, it feels like forever ago, but back in 2024, they didn’t even give him a famous partner! It was so unfair. But this year? This year is different! They paired him with Karen, and honestly, they’re amazing together. They’ve actually made it to the final! I’m seriously losing my mind with excitement!

Coral bookmakers currently favor Karen to win the Strictly final this weekend. They give her 4-9 odds, which translates to about a 70% chance of winning the Glitterball Trophy.

George Clarke is the second most likely to win, with odds of 7-4, while Amber Davies is considered a long shot at 50-1.

According to Coral’s John Hill, Karen Carney has consistently gotten better throughout her time on Strictly Come Dancing, and bookmakers currently give her a 70% chance of winning the competition this weekend.

The show concludes this Saturday night after a season of competition. Only three couples – Amber and her partner, George and his partner, and Karen and her partner – remain to compete for the title.

I was so sad to see Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon leave the competition over the weekend! They were such a lovely pair, and I really enjoyed watching them dance. It’s always tough when a good team has to say goodbye.

This week, Karen, a former professional footballer, Amber from Love Island, and social media personality George will perform one last time. The judges and viewers at home will then cast their votes to determine the final scores.

Karen shared that just being selected for the show felt like a victory, and making it to the final was even more incredible. She said last weekend, ‘It felt like I’d already won just getting cast, and now to get this far is amazing!’

Carlos then revealed that their show dance would be to Texas’ Inner Smile. 

Oh my gosh, after everything she’s been through, it’s finally happening! Everyone’s saying Karen is going to win, and honestly, she deserves it SO much. I’ve been following her journey for ages, and I’m just bursting with excitement that she’s finally getting the recognition she’s earned!

Throughout her professional football career, Karen played both as a winger and midfielder, earning 144 caps for England.

Even though Karen achieved success as a soccer player and later worked as a commentator for channels like TNT Sports and Sky Sports, she also went through some difficult times.

Throughout the live shows, Karen has candidly shared her personal struggles, including her battle with Scheuermann’s disease. She even dedicated a dance performance to her mother, who has been a major inspiration, and acknowledged her background as an athlete.

Karen has seen a big boost in popularity since appearing on Strictly, gaining 71,000 new Instagram followers.

During week eight of the competition, Karen spoke about her Scheuermann’s disease, a condition affecting her spine, and explained how it impacts her dancing.

Following an emotional American Smooth, Carlos Gu said: ‘She worked so hard this week.

She admitted ballroom dancing wasn’t easy for her, but she was determined to give it her best effort. Despite ongoing back issues, she told Carlos she was committed to improving, even if just a little.

Karen has had Scheuermann’s disease – a condition that causes the upper spine to curve – since she was a child.

Early in her career, while playing for the Chicago Red Stars, Karen suffered a knee injury which led to a period of depression and self-harm. She later developed an addiction to sleeping pills as a way to cope.

She told The Guardian that it was the most difficult experience of her life, and she was really struggling at the time.

Karen retired from professional football in 2019 and began working as a sports commentator. Unfortunately, she also faced severe online harassment, which deeply affected her and led to thoughts of suicide.

She had previously experienced online abuse, including shockingly vile threats like wishes for cancer, leukemia, and rape while she was a player. However, the harassment intensified significantly when she began commentating.

In 2020, Karen faced a wave of sexist and abusive messages online, leading her to delete her social media accounts. The following year, she revealed that this abuse had caused her to consider suicide.

Karen explained that a difficult period in her past continues to deeply affect her, saying it was a completely overwhelming experience.

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2025-12-20 11:50