The former Birmingham City and England footballer has done the city proud tonight, for more reasons than her win
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu named winners of Strictly Come Dancing 2025(Image: PA)
Birmingham’s Karen Carney has lifted the Glitterball trophy and won Strictly Come Dancing 2025 – and made the city incredibly proud while doing so.
The former Birmingham City and England footballer turned pundit has made history on the show, becoming the first ever footballer to win.
And it’s not the first time.
She’s already been inducted into the Birmingham City Hall of Fame in March 2015 – becoming the first woman to receive the honour when she was recognised for her legendary status as a lifelong fan, local hero after winning the FA Cup with Birmingham City, and success as an England international with over 100 caps.
Karen topped the leaderboard with her Jive(Image: PA)
And she’s also the first Birmingham bab to lift the trophy. Not bad at all for a woman who has faced incredible difficulty on the dance floor and pitch due to Scheuermann’s disease, an excessive curve in the spine which means she has difficulty moving her upper back.
Karen deserved that win from the first moment she ever step foot on the Strictly dance floor and blew us all away with her incredible Jive with partner Carlos Gu.
And it’s been great to see her championing the city we love so much. From her tribute to the second city with her incredible Peaky Blinders inspired Argentine Tango to just showing the humble nature of us Brummies every time she was praised by the judges, Karen has been an incredible rep for Brum.
Karen Carney and Carlos Gu perform their incredible Peaky Blinders inspired routine(Image: BBC)
And that’s why I think she should have a star on Birmingham’s Walk of Fame on Broad Street.
It could be time the city as a whole honoured Karen’s achievements.