Former Lioness and current broadcaster Karen Carney finished second on the leaderboard in this week’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing.
She and partner Carlos Gu danced a Peaky Blinders-themed Argentine tango to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Song Red Right Hand, which features in the TV show.
And Carney revealed how much she’d enjoyed learning the routine.
“When I watch people do the Argentine tango, I’m like how do they not kick each other,” she said before the performance, adding: “I’ve probably jinxed myself now!
“Rumba was my favourite [dance so far] but I think this one is winning me over.”
Karen Carney: Judges’ comments on her Argentine tango
And the judges thought it was her best dance of the series.
“It’s a type of dance that you depend on your partner – you can’t just do it on your own, you can’t go off, you can’t miss a beat,” said Motsi Mabuse.
“The way you were using your standing leg, it was always switching, turning direction.”
And to Gu, Mabuse said: “I love that you challenge her because she brings the challenge.”
Shirley Ballas said: “You absolutely smashed the choreography for me. What I liked about it, I liked the intensity. Not one time did you look out at the audience or at us. You stayed right where you were supposed to be.
“You focused, you were sure-footed. You role-reversed in the middle. I loved that as well, got right where you needed to be. Entertaining – just great.”
Anton du Beke looked back on her first week’s performance, which was an impressive jive – but since then, her scores had been lower.
“You came out week one with the jive, and we all went, ah, I see, she’s a bit good, this one,” he said. “Then you went away somewhere, you took yourself off somewhere. You came along, but it wasn’t the same, you hid yourself away.
“Tonight you’ve gone, ‘I’m back, everybody – and what’s more, I’m better than ever.’ This was extraordinarily good. I loved it.”
And Craig Revel-Horwood concluded: “It was clean, it was confident. I loved, loved, loved that dance.”
She got a total of 38 points from the judges, with full marks from Mabuse and du Beke.
And a delighted Carney admitted: “Peaky Blinders is my favourite show – repping Birmingham!”
