The final countdown

West End star, YouTuber and a footballer vying for Glitterball

- - BY LUCY NEEDHAM

They are from three different worlds, so this year's three Strictly finalists tell completely different stories as they prepare for Saturday's final.

For footballer Karen Carney, it has been a journey of self-improvement.

She says ahead of dancing it out with rivals George Clarke and Amber Davies this weekend: "It's rebuilt my confidence and this is by far the happiest I've ever been."

Karen's confidence took a blow when her top-tier footballing career ended in 2019. She was then at Chelsea after spells at Arsenal and her hometown Birmingham City and decided to retire aged just 31 due to an injury problem.

She says of her confidence deflating: "I couldn't figure out how to fix that.

"One minute I was a 17-year-old footballer who burst on to the scene allegedly, and the next I was old and retired and couldn't move.

"Life goes very, very quick.

"For five or six years I felt crushed. But I always thought if I could ever get the opportunity to throw myself into what I felt would be a safe environment I'm taking it. I always knew in my heart Strictly would be that thing.

Every Saturday I'd watch it at home and I'd fall in love with the dancers and enjoy their journeys and I'd forget about everything else.