Motivational SpeakersKaren Carney OBE is a former Lioness, a leading football pundit and in-demand motivational speaker.
One of English football’s most decorated and influential figures, Karen is a former Chelsea, Arsenal and Lioness legend.
She is now the lead female pundit across both men’s and women’s football for TNT and ITV, bringing elite-level insight to the biggest stages in the game.
Away from the pitch, Karen captured the nation’s imagination as the reigning ‘Strictly Come Dancing‘ champion, lifting the glitterball trophy in the 2025 final alongside her professional partner Carlos Gu.
With an extraordinary 144 England caps, Karen Carney is the third most-capped Lioness in history. Her international career spanned four World Cups, four European Championships and the London 2012 Olympic Games, before she retired from professional football in 2019.
A true trailblazer, Karen has become a leading voice in advancing women in sport. In 2022, she was appointed to lead a landmark government review with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport into the Future of Women’s Football in the UK. Every recommendation from the review was fully backed by the government in 2023. That same year, she fronted ITV’s Leaders of the Pack, holding candid and insightful conversations with the most influential figures in the women’s game.
Karen also made history at the men’s World Cup in 2022 as part of the first all-female pundit line-up to analyse a men’s football match. In summer 2024, she led ITV’s coverage of the men’s European Championships, including the dramatic final between England and Spain, before once again fronting ITV’s coverage of the Lionesses’ historic Euro triumph in 2025.
Furthermore, alongside her close friend and former teammate Jill Scott, Karen co-hosts the podcast Long Story Short, a funny, nostalgic and heartfelt look at their friendship, football careers and life beyond the game.
Karen Carney – Lioness Motivational Speaker:
A highly sought-after Lioness motivational speaker, Karen Carney regularly addresses major corporate audiences, translating the lessons of elite sport – leadership, resilience, teamwork and high performance – into powerful insights for business.
She is a Global Ambassador for Pepsi, sponsored by Nike, and works with leading brands including BMW, Heineken, Booking.com, Continental Tyres and Violife.
