No you dont' have to explain yourself (sorry if you felt you had to). However, you were interested how other people felt about the issue, and I contributed my two-pence (even if I don't agree with you). As I said above, I'm not a "mad" Karen supporter (if there is such thing), but I generally try to find somthing positive to say about people.

I try and find something positive about most people, I just find Karen annoying and she grates on me. I am just interested also in the other side and what others think of her. I am sure there are dancers I like that others do not like.

Invoking the name of John Major never causes any controversy -- everybody thinks he is inoffensive and dull. As soon as the name of Margaret Thatcher is mentioned a roomful of people will split into two halves, each side lunging at the throats of the other side. The reality is the two sides will never agree.

I think Karen is a large personality of the second school, which is not a criticism, some would see it as a compliment.

i'm not a fan of karens - to me she comes across smug and we never heard the end of it when she won.

Think that says it all.

Like her a lot and hope she does well this year.

I don't know what it is with Karen, one minute I like her and the next I don't.
She was certainly one of my favorites during series three but I went off her in series four cause she came across as a bit of a 'know it all' and thats kinda stuck with me. I wouldn't say that I didn't want her to win again but I don't want her to be the first pro to win twice cause we would never hear the last of it !

Thats what I think

Has Karen's own attitude, and her perception of her place in the show, changed as the series have progressed?

I think that during the first series that she appeared in, we heard about how she had "given up" dancing, and how much she had missed dancing, and about how she had narrowly missed out on being in the earlier series.

There were some interviews with her, which were quite moving, where she seemed extremely grateful just to be in the show, and how happy she was about that. She was quite endearing like that.

Then, when things started to go well with Ramps, but still quite a while before she won, she seemed to change, and lost the sense of humility and gratitude, that she once seemed to have.

I really like Karen and love to watch her dance. Last year lost a lot of its sparkle to me - when Karen and Vincent went out in the first weeks. Without these two professionals I couldn't get enthusiastic about the series at all. I always prefer the professionals to the 'stars' - so I dearly miss them all when they're voted off.

I also found her very gracious after she was voted off first in week one, full of praise and admiration for her partner.

It's all subjective isn't it? Some people you like, other folk remind you of nails down a blackboard. Personally I love Karen. She is SO knowledgable, a current judge , so she sees red when the so called judges aren't professional. And I especially love her cos her legs are just like mine! More rugby than modelling!

I like Karen but I did find her comment on the show last night that 'history was made' when Mark won a bit odd.

I really Liked her when she was dancing with Bill in series 3. Bu then in series 4, in my opinion, she went a bit over the top in every thing she said and did which wasn't really necessary and a bit uncomfortable to watch and I went off her. But she is a great dancer!

I totally agree. I really missed Karen and Vincent when they went out so early last year.

I think Karen is brilliant and I love watching her routines. Hope she does well this year.

That's pretty much how I see her, and why I like her. She sometimes comes out with some really stupid things (though all the pros do that, far as I can see) - anyone remember her "I want to teach the world to dance" comment? I didn't know whether to fall into hysterical laughter or throw up.

But I think that is also one of the things I like about her, she's open and not self-censoring. The other side of the "history was made"/"teach the world to sing" faux pas was her apologising to Mark for "getting it wrong" after their foxtrot. I get the impression she quite frequently may not think before she speaks, but I find that more endearing than people who are not at all open which I find some of the other pros to be.

I also think she is a fantastic dancer and demonstrably a good teacher.

I can't say I'm surprised that some of Karen's biggest fans (and indeed those who are not but have a sense of fairness) kick out when threads like this pop up: last year there was plenty of vitriol directed at Karen practically for daring to breathe even after she got knocked out. I'd hazard a guess that she and Brendan probably generate the most arguments on here! And their fans are understandably defensive when a thread like this appears before the show even starts.


Well said!


Inclined to think you are right, soulmate. I like Karen a lot, and yet she still sometimes makes me cringe. I think she's just that kind of person: human marmite!

I also think that one's impressions of a dancer frequently affect how one reacts to the things they say. In this thread there have been accusations of Karen's "shameless self-promotion", "lack of humility", and many other things. I'm no longer surprised by things like this as it's clear Karen polarises opinion, but I do often find that I don't see the things in Karen that others see and so dislike, and often I do see them in other pros of whom I am less fond, and often the very people accusing one pro of a fault are fans of another pro who I'd consider more guilty of said fault. I'm pretty sure most people who consider themselves fans of one or other of the pros (and I include myself in this group) will to some extent wear rose coloured spectacles about their own favourite pro(s) - and will be a lot less forgiving to those of whom they have previously formed negative impressions.

Personally I find Gary Rhodes somewhat irritating, so while I hope to see plenty of Karen this year I'm not convinced I'll be falling for their partnership. We'll see!

I think Karen is lovely
She has an opinion and i think thats why some people dont like her. Shes not afraid to say how she feels.

I took her history was made comment as a reflection of her own personal achievement having been semi-retired, not a grandiose boast. And it was a terrific achievement!

I wish people would just leave her alone. I was gutted when she went out so early last series.

I was quite sad to find a thread filling up with criticism (albeit mild thus far) aimed at Karen already (and the series proper hasn't even started yet!).

Sad, but not terribly surprised as I see that there are also dotted around the SCD forum some (again, very mild thus far) personal attacks on some of the new celebs - garnered from maybe two minutes of exposure on an 'intro' show!!!

This happens every year. And it will only get worse. That's not an opinion, that's a prediction. It's the one aspect about the SCD forum that I find difficult to accept.

Personally, I like all of the pros (and the celebs). (I do have my favourite pros, of course. Karen is one of them). And I won't be saying a bad word about any of them (even if I start to think less of someone as the weeks go by - I look upon that as more my problem than theirs. I don't expect this to happen, mind you!).

We will all be subjected, over the coming weeks, to 'soundbites' and heavily edited/skewed video of the pros and celebs. And some of it will, of course, engender reactions amongst those here. It's supposed to. It entices us to keep watching and therefore ups the viewing figures. (Wow, I had no idea I was so cynical! I've obviously been watching SCD too long!).

I try not to be swayed but of course we're all only human and one can't help but be affected one way or another by what we're shown. But a bit of restraint would be nice this year - so that we don't end up with those incredibly acrimonious threads that have cropped up in previous series.

I know this is a vain hope, of course! It's started early, so it's only going to deteriorate (sadly)

However, I'm really looking forward to the series proper (Saturday night!!!!) - and to seeing Karen and Gary 'tripping the light fantastic' together! I shall be sitting in my living room, cheering them on - and hoping not to lose Karen so early this year!!!!

Can I just say - well done Cally's Mum and Sarah-flute on a couple well thought out and reasonable posts.

I suppose it was too much to hope that the series could at least start before these sort of threads made an appearance.

I've only met Karen once at her Christmas ball during series4, but she was a lovely, warm woman with a fabulous personality who made YOU feel important. I gave her an article in a folder on her and Ramps that was in a national paper by a columnist and she was overwhelmed. She hadn't seen it, and had been so engrossed in training that she had genuinely no idea what an impact she and Mark had made in the media. At the end of the evening she was carefully carrying it to her car. So much for somebody who has an inflated sense of self importance.

She says things from her heart. She is a VERY soft target in that respect. Personally I trust people far more who occasionally do or say a wrong or hasty thing than those whose masks never slip who are always 'correct'. I find them rather cold and more calculating.

Her warmth comes across in her dancing. I haven't loved every single routine she's ever done but I've always found them uniquely memorable and more often than not totally engaging. I didn't care for her waltz with Brian but her going out in the first week created a massive vacuum in the series for me that was never overcome.

She's a kind, generous lady with a wonderful talent.

I suppose some posters on here have NEVER annoyed anybody else in their life.

Nancy - thanks for sharing that personal experience. She does sound as nice off screen as she is on screen.

Gotta agre with Nancy. That whole night of her ball, she was constantly asking people if they were ok and if THEY were having a nice time, it wasn't about her at all, it was purely her making sure those who paid were having the time of their lives..which I certainly was, even whilst dosed up to the eyeballs to overcome flu.

Funny reading some comments about not the same without Karen - she hasn't been around since the start so this comment is redundant. Only Brendan, Camilla, Anton and Erin have done all 6 series'

Karen's comments and attitude put me off her. I find her quick to judge and shes one of a few 'big headed' pros that think they make teh show. They add to the show.

Aaaw...sorry to hear that. Don't think our paths crossed?

But what a wonderful night that was, full of laughter.

It certainly wasn't about her, we all had so much time to chat with her (and Bill and Mark) and her teaching us the Cha Cha Cha on the floor, well..........

I don't think our paths did cross there!

I think the pros in their own way all are all bigheaded, but then everyone interprets it differently.