This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Ahead of her work on the World Cup 2026 for ITV, Karen Carney talks to Radio Times about her tournament predictions, Strictly Come Dancing success and more.
What’s the view from your sofa?
The TV is on the wall. I’ve got a big sofa, but I’ve got a bizarre habit of being all quidged up right at the end. Then I wonder why my neck hurts…
What do you watch when you’re all squidged up?
I started the second series of Running Point and I just watched The Other Bennet Sister, which was really cool. I’m a huge fan of Peaky Blinders; I’ve seen The Immortal Man five times. I tend to binge watch, so I could never start a series when I was in the England camp because I knew I’d end up sitting in my room till 4am. But if I get annoyed with a series, I’ll stop immediately.
Even if you’re near the end of the whole show?
Yes! I stopped watching The Great when Peter III [Nicholas Hoult] died in a frozen lake. I like my happy endings and his death ruined that possibility!
Are you looking forward to this year’s World Cup?
I can’t wait. I light up when I think about the team I work with – they are my broadcasting family. My first tournament with ITV was the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar and I’ve been with them ever since. When you retire from football, you lose your team and I always hoped I’d find another one, which thankfully I have.
Which team has the best chance of winning the tournament?
I always want to say England, but my gut feeling leads me to France.
What exactly are your hopes for England?
It would be great if both England teams were really successful. The Lionesses have done unbelievably well, making the last three major finals and winning two of those.
Was it tough to retire in 2019?
Definitely. I’m very team-orientated, which is why I enjoyed working with a team on Strictly too [she became the first footballer to win the show]. When you retire, the danger is that you become very isolated. You can lose your identity. It’s a very challenging period of transition, but in the end, you have to give way to the whippersnappers.
Did you always want to take part on Strictly?
I was a fan for such a long time and hoped I’d be asked. I said to Carlos [Gu, her professional partner on the show], “We don’t have any expectations, let’s just have fun!” Jill [Scott] said that if Carlos and I won, we should get a tattoo. I agreed, thinking we’d never win. So, Carlos and I got matching heart and butterfly tattoos. I still can’t believe we won. Mind blown!
When you first became a pundit, you received a lot of online abuse. How did you deal with it?
Emma Hayes [the former Chelsea manager who is now head coach of the US women’s national team] once advised me not to play to impress my manager, but to impress my team-mates. When I broadcast, I do it to the best of my ability for my team-mates of pundits. They know I’m hardworking and that I always do my prep, plus I back them. Their opinion of me is all that matters.
In 2022, you worked with the Government as Chair of the Future of Women’s Football Review and said that “women’s football can be a billion-pound industry within a decade”. Are things going the right way?
For too long women’s football was in a vicious cycle in which a lot of the players had a day job and trained a few times a week between 8pm and 10pm. They weren’t eating or resting properly, and their performances weren’t optimised. It’s taken years to get to this point – players are paid, their diets are scrutinised – but there’s still a lot of work to do. If we build strong foundations, we can do anything.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here.
Check out more of our Football coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
