Strictly’s Karen Carney reveals childhood health condition that could impact her performance on the dancefloor

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Karen Carney has shared that she’s lived with a spinal condition since she was a child, and explained how it impacts her dancing on Strictly Come Dancing. 

On Saturday’s episode of the popular BBC show, the 38-year-old former footballer and her dance partner, Carlos Gu, 32, practiced for their next live dance – a Tango performed to Dua Lipa’s song, Training Season.

During a pause in practice, though, Karen shared that she’s been dealing with health issues. She explained she has a curved spine, which makes it hard to maintain the proper form needed for ballroom dancing.

She told the cameras: ‘I have this thing called Scheuermann’s, I’ve had it since I was a kid.  

I have a curvature of the spine, which makes it quite difficult for me to be open to certain things and perform them to the best of my ability. However, Carlos is incredibly supportive and encouraging.

Despite the challenge, Karen powered through and took to the dancefloor for their Tango routine. 

However, their performance caused them to drop in the rankings, earning a total of 20 points – a significant 11 points less than their ‘sensational’ performance during week one’s jive.

After the performance, judge Motsi Mabuse commended Karen for honestly discussing her health: ‘Thank you for sharing with us about your curved spine.‘

She went on to say, ‘This will require us to push our limits and explore new possibilities, as it’s a ballroom dance that demands a very specific and correct posture. We need to see how much we can expand and open up to achieve it.’

However, you were leading the leaderboard last week and seemed to be attacking with confidence. This week, I could sense you were feeling more nervous.

Scheuermann’s disease, also called Scheuermann’s kyphosis, is a condition that affects growth. It causes the bones in the upper back (thoracic spine) to become wedge-shaped, which can result in a rounded or hunched back, especially during the teenage years (adolescence).

This condition might cause symptoms like back pain, stiffness, and tiredness. In serious situations, it could even make it difficult to breathe.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following Karen’s story, and it’s been quite a journey! Just days after we all saw her absolutely stun viewers with her incredible first dance performance – seriously, it was amazing! – she’s now shared a personal revelation about her health. It’s a reminder that what we see on the surface doesn’t always tell the full story, and I admire her courage in being so open.

The current frontrunner on Strictly Come Dancing performed a jive with her partner, Carlos, in the ballroom last Saturday.

Her incredible performance immediately propelled her to the top of the leaderboard, wowing the judges and surprising viewers watching at home.

But in a past interview, she shared that she initially trained in dance when she was young, before she became dedicated to football.

She recalled: ‘I used to love playing football as a child – we’d have lots of casual games – but I didn’t actually join a team until I was 11 years old.’

‘Until then, it was all about dancing for me.

We practiced a wide variety of dances and musical styles, including street dancing, hip-hop, disco, rock ‘n’ roll, slow dances, and team routines.

According to The Sun, Karen also stated: ‘As I grew older and my football games moved to Sundays, I faced some decisions to make.’

‘I decided to give up dancing when I was 15.’

She explained that her agility, strength, power, and footwork during a match were completely due to dancing, without a doubt.

Even though I was young, I was surprisingly strong. This was due to all the dancing I did, which helped build up my muscles.

After her performance last Saturday, betting odds on Karen winning the glitterball trophy were significantly reduced.

Her odds at bookmaker Ladbrokes dropped from 16/1 to just 5/1 at the time. 

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2025-10-04 23:06