Karen Julia Carney OBE was born on 1 August 1987 in Solihull, England. She is a former England international footballer turned sports broadcaster.
Carney also won Strictly Come Dancing in December 2025.
Who is Karen Carney?
Karen Carney is an English former professional footballer and current sports broadcaster. She played as a winger and midfielder for Birmingham City, Arsenal, Chicago Red Stars, and Chelsea.
Carney earned 144 caps for England between 2005 and 2019, making her one of the country’s most capped players.
She also represented Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics.
Since retiring from playing, Carney has built a prominent broadcasting career with Sky Sports, the BBC, and ITV. In December 2025, she added a new title to her résumé by winning the twenty-third series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Early Life of Karen Carney
Carney was born in Solihull, in the West Midlands, and grew up in Hall Green, Birmingham. Her father Michael worked as a firefighter, while her mother Marie worked at Sainsbury’s.
She has two sisters, Emma and Sarah.
Carney showed an early interest in football and joined the Birmingham City Women’s youth setup at around age 11.
She made her first-team debut for Birmingham City as a teenager, before her senior England debut followed in 2005 at age 17.
Karen Carney Age
Karen Carney is 39 years old as of 2026, born on 1 August 1987. Her zodiac sign is Leo.
She turned 38 during her run on Strictly Come Dancing in autumn 2025, going on to win the glitterball trophy that December.
Karen Carney Ethnicity and Nationality
Carney is English and holds British nationality. She was born and raised in the West Midlands region of England.
Her family background is British, with both of her parents working in England throughout her childhood. Carney has spoken publicly about her working-class upbringing in Birmingham as a formative part of her identity.
Karen Carney Height and Weight
Carney stands at 5 feet 4 inches, or approximately 1.62 meters. Her weight is not publicly confirmed.
She has spoken openly about living with Scheuermann’s disease, a condition affecting spinal curvature, which she said made some of her Strictly Come Dancing training more physically demanding.
Karen Carney Education
While still playing professionally, Carney studied for a degree in sports and exercise science at Loughborough University, graduating in 2008. She later earned a master’s degree in sports psychology from the University of Gloucestershire in 2013.
Her academic background in sports science has continued to inform her work as a broadcaster and analyst.
Karen Carney Career
Early Career at Birmingham City and Arsenal
Carney began her career at Birmingham City, joining the club’s youth ranks at around age 11 and making her senior debut as a teenager. She was named FA Young Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2006.
In 2006, she moved to Arsenal.
During the 2006 to 2007 season, she was part of an Arsenal side that won every domestic and European trophy available, including the UEFA Women’s Cup, the FA Women’s Premier League, the FA Women’s Cup, and the FA Women’s Premier League Cup.
Chicago, Return to Birmingham, and Chelsea
Carney spent time playing in the United States for the Chicago Red Stars between 2009 and 2010. She then returned to Birmingham City in 2011, where she has spoken candidly about struggling with mental health difficulties during that period.
Despite those challenges, she helped Birmingham City reach an FA Women’s Cup final at Wembley against Chelsea, where she was named woman of the match and scored a decisive extra-time free kick.
In 2015, Carney signed for Chelsea, later becoming club captain. She remained at Chelsea until her retirement from playing in 2019, shortly after that year’s Women’s World Cup.
International Career and Broadcasting
Over a 14-year international career from 2005 to 2019, Carney won 144 caps and scored 33 goals for England. That total makes her the third most-capped player in Lionesses history.
She featured at the 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017 European Championships, along with the 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 World Cups.
After retiring, Carney moved into broadcasting, initially covering football for the BBC and BT Sport. She has since become Sky Sports’ lead pundit for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, and also appears across Premier League and EFL coverage.
In 2022, she joined ITV’s team covering men’s and women’s international football. Carney also chaired a UK Government review into the future of domestic women’s football.
Karen Carney Awards and Recognition
- FA Young Player of the Year (2005 and 2006)
- UEFA Women’s Cup winner with Arsenal (2007)
- Chelsea Player of the Year (2016)
- Inducted into the Birmingham City Hall of Fame (2015)
- Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame (2021)
- Appointed MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to football
- Appointed OBE in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to football
- Winner of Strictly Come Dancing series 23 (2025), with professional partner Carlos Gu
Karen Carney Husband
Carney is not married. Multiple sources report that she has chosen to keep her romantic life private, and no partner has been publicly confirmed.
She has a godson named Ronnie, whom she has referenced in interviews about her family life outside of football and broadcasting.
Karen Carney Children
Karen Carney does not have any children. There is no public information confirming that she has a partner or children.
Karen Carney Net Worth
Estimates of Karen Carney’s net worth are around $1 million as of 2026.
Her income is understood to come from her playing career, her ongoing broadcasting roles with Sky Sports and ITV, and her appointment to chair a government review into women’s football.
The Bottom Line
Karen Carney won every domestic and European trophy available with Arsenal during the 2006 to 2007 season, then went on to earn 144 England caps across four World Cups. She later became Chelsea’s captain before retiring from playing in 2019.
Carney has spoken openly about her mental health struggles during her Birmingham City comeback and about living with Scheuermann’s disease, a spinal condition that made her Strictly Come Dancing training especially difficult.
In December 2025, Carney and professional partner Carlos Gu won Strictly Come Dancing, becoming the first footballer to lift the glitterball trophy. We hope you enjoyed reading about Is Karen Carney Married? Her. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!