Alex McIntyre,West Midlandsand
Sarah Julian,BBC Radio WM
BBC
Former Lioness Karen Carney and dance partner Carlos Gu will compete in the Strictly final
The mother of Strictly Come Dancing star Karen Carney has said her daughter “feels free” while performing on the show.
The former Lioness and pundit from Solihull will compete for the series 23 crown on Saturday against fellow contestants George Clarke and Amber Davies.
It comes a week after Karen and dance partner Carlos Gu led the way in the semi-final, scoring 78 out of a possible 80 points for their emotional waltz and samba routines.
Speaking to BBC Radio WM, the contestant’s mother Marie Carney said watching her daughter dance was “amazing”.
“When she goes on the dance floor, she just feels free,” she said. “She switches herself off — she tries to go into the moment.
“When I’m watching her in the studio, she really is connected with him [Gu] and concentrated on the dancing.
“She just loves to dance with him. She really loves to dance and she feels free.”
Marie Carney said watching her daughter on Strictly had been “amazing” and people often approached her at work in a supermarket to chat about it
Her daughter told the BBC being on Strictly had given her a sense of confidence that football had sometimes taken away.
Marie said Karen had a “fabulous” career, which included 144 caps for England, as well as stints with Birmingham City, Chelsea and Arsenal’s women’s teams.
She became a pundit for TNT and ITV after retiring in 2019, but Marie said her daughter often faced abuse from people who disagreed with her opinions.
“It’s just unacceptable really and my heart goes out to them all [the pundits],” she added. “They’re only there to do their job.”
Marie Carney said her daughter Karen loved to dance with Strictly partner Carlos Gu
Marie described Strictly’s atmosphere as “fabulous” and said staff were really supportive.
She was full of praise for Gu too, adding: “He’s a lovely guy and a phenomenal dancer.”
Marie has worked at the Sainsbury’s in Shirley, Solihull, for about 30 years and said people often asked her if she was the “Strictly mum”.
“Everybody has been wonderful,” she added.
Asked if she had a message for her daughter, Marie said: “I just want you to go out there, thrive, be happy, be free and just enjoy what you’re doing.”
The final of Strictly Come Dancing is scheduled to air on BBC One at 19:00 GMT on Saturday.
