Karen Carney does not talk about her love life. She never has.
Despite being one of the most recognisable faces in British sports broadcasting, the former England captain has kept her romantic life sealed off from public view throughout her entire career. That has not changed in 2026. Based on everything available from verified sources, Karen Carney has no publicly confirmed partner. She has never introduced anyone to the media, mentioned a relationship in any interview, or posted anything remotely romantic on social media. She is widely believed to be single.
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What Karen Has — and Has Not — Said About Her Personal Life
Karen, 38, has given plenty of high-profile interviews. She has spoken openly about her mental health, her upbringing in Hall Green, Birmingham, her confidence struggles, and her family. On romantic relationships, the record is empty.
That is not a coincidence. Across interviews with Sky Sports, ITV, The Guardian, the Mirror, Hello! Magazine, and more, no journalist has drawn a comment from her about a partner. She has never volunteered one either.
The personal details she does share are limited to her immediate family. She has spoken warmly about her parents, Michael and Marie Carney, her two sisters Emma and Sarah, and her godson Ronnie. Those are the relationships she is comfortable putting on the record. A romantic partner has never been among them.
The Liesel Jolly Rumour: What the Evidence Actually Shows
The name most frequently linked to Karen Carney in searches is Liesel Jolly. Online speculation has suggested the two are in a romantic relationship. The documented evidence points somewhere else entirely.
Liesel Jolly is Visa’s Women’s Football Lead and a senior marketing manager. She and Karen co-created The Second Half, a career development programme launched by Visa in January 2021, built to help professional female footballers build careers after leaving the sport. The programme was developed alongside former Scotland international Kim Little, and to date has supported over 71 players across the UK, Portugal, and Spain.
Visa’s own website describes the initiative as a collaboration between Karen Carney OBE and Kim Little MBE. Karen has spoken about it in her own words:
“For the women’s game to continue to succeed, creating long-term career paths for players is a must. That’s why partnering with Visa on The Second Half to help athletes recognise their potential off the pitch continues to be a source of pride for me.”
In 2024, Liesel congratulated Karen on LinkedIn after she chaired the government’s Future of Women’s Football Review, writing that she is “always inspired by Karen Carney’s ability to take on new challenges outside her comfort zone.” That public professional support is the extent of what is documented.
Hello! Magazine noted in November 2025 that the pair “have not hinted that their relationship is anything other than professional.” Wikipedia, SheKicks, and Visa’s official platform all describe their connection in the same terms. Neither woman has confirmed or addressed the dating rumour.
What About Carlos Gu?
When Karen won the 23rd series of Strictly Come Dancing in December 2025, becoming the first footballer ever to lift the Glitterball Trophy, some attention turned to her relationship with professional partner Carlos Gu. Their on-screen chemistry was obvious. Their closeness off it was well documented.
There is no suggestion of a romantic relationship between them. What is clear is a genuine, close friendship that carried well into 2026.
On the night of the final, Carlos told Karen: “You changed my life.” Karen, in the weeks that followed, described him as central to rebuilding the confidence she had spent years searching for.
In early 2026, the two followed through on a bet they had made during week one of the series. They got matching tattoos. Carlos had a butterfly and hearts inked on his arm. Karen had hers placed on her ribcage.
On 8 February 2026, Karen took Carlos to his very first football match, Arsenal Women vs Manchester City Women at the Emirates Stadium. She posted on TikTok: “Had the honour of taking Carlos to his first ever football match. What a day!”
Their friendship is warm, public, and clearly something both of them value. By every available account, it is also exactly that: a friendship.
Why Karen Carney Guards Her Private Life the Way She Does
Karen’s decision to keep her romantic life private makes a lot more sense once you understand what she has endured in public.
While playing for the Chicago Red Stars in the United States, a knee injury triggered a serious depression. She became addicted to sleeping pills and began self-harming. Her coach Emma Hayes urged her to return to England. Karen later told The Guardian:
“I was in a pretty bad way. I think that has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome. I came back purely to save my life.”
In December 2020, following on-air comments about Leeds United, Karen faced a sustained and brutal wave of online abuse including death threats and rape threats. She described the impact to The Guardian in 2025:
“That crushed my confidence. It floored me as a human, completely floored me. I’ve never got over it.”
The abuse was severe enough that she deleted her Twitter account entirely. She has since spoken about feeling suicidal during that period. Keeping her romantic life private, then, is not simply a preference. For Karen, it is a form of protection that years of experience have taught her she needs.
Karen Carney in 2026: The Clearest Picture Yet
Whatever her relationship status privately, the version of Karen Carney that arrived in 2026 is one she herself has described as the most settled and confident of her adult life.
She told Hello! Magazine before the Strictly final:
“It’s by far the happiest I’ve ever been. I’ve smiled like I’ve never smiled before, and I’m forever grateful to the show and to Carlos for that.”
In February 2026, she became a minority owner of Birmingham City Women following the takeover of the club’s women’s side by Shelby Companies Limited. For someone who grew up in Birmingham supporting the club as a girl, it was about as full-circle as it gets.
She continues broadcasting across Sky Sports, ITV, TNT Sports, and CBS Sports, co-hosts the Long Story Short podcast with Jill Scott, and remains one of the most prominent voices in women’s football in the country.
As for Karen Carney’s dating life and whether she is currently seeing someone, her answer has been the same for as long as she has been in the public eye: silence. She has built a life she describes as the happiest she has ever known. Whoever is or is not part of that privately is something she has decided, firmly and consistently, belongs only to her.
All information sourced from verified publications including ITV News, Hello! Magazine, The Guardian, Wikipedia, Visa UK, Arsenal.com, SheKicks, Entertainment Daily, Big Issue, and Great British Speakers. Last updated March 2026.
