Birmingham-born sports broadcaster Karen Carney has danced her way into pole position to win this year's Strictly Come Dancing competition, according to the latest bookmakers' odds.
From the Pitch to the Dance Floor: Carney's Remarkable Rise
The 38-year-old from Solihull, partnered with professional dancer Carlos Gu, has captivated audiences and judges over the past ten weeks. Her journey reached a new high in the most recent episode, where the duo achieved a perfect score of 40 for their Couple's Choice routine.
This stellar performance propelled them to the summit of the leaderboard ahead of the Week 10 Instant Dance challenge. The competition's schedule was altered after the Blackpool special, when contestant La Voix withdrew, prompting producers to postpone an elimination.
The Latest Strictly Come Dancing Winner Odds
Analysts at SportsCasting have now installed Karen and Carlos as the clear frontrunners to lift the coveted Glitterball trophy. The pair are the outright favourites with odds of 8/11.
Their closest competitors are currently George Clarke and Alexis Warr, who stand at 6/4. Lewis Cope and Katya Jones follow at 7/1, with Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin at 33/1. Despite surviving another dance-off, Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon remain the outsiders with a 200/1 chance.
"Week 10 delivered drama and surprises as Karen Carney surged into favouritism with a flawless Couple’s Choice routine," said SportsCasting spokesperson Shane Orton. "Karen’s rise has been remarkable, and Balvinder’s resilience continues to amaze, proving that in Strictly, anything can happen when the pressure is on."
Embracing the Strictly Experience
Speaking to BirminghamLive before her first live show, Karen expressed her awe at being part of the BBC juggernaut. She described being "memorised" by the spectacle and vowed to seize the opportunity if it ever arose.
"I promised myself I was going to enjoy every single minute of it and not put pressure on myself," she explained, adding that stepping onto the famous dancefloor was an "honour and a privilege."
Her approach appears to have paid off, winning over a significant public following as she and Carlos have consistently impressed with their performances.
The quest for the Glitterball continues. Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday, December 6 at 6.50pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
