Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Carlos Gu faced an unexpected wave of online backlash after breaking down in tears following his American Smooth performance with partner Karen Carney.¹ The emotional reaction, prompted by the judges' praise for Carney's significant improvement, was met with accusations from some viewers of being "fake" and "over the top" (Entertainment Daily, GB News).

The Emotional Performance and Judge's Praise

On the night of the performance (Saturday, November 15, 2025), former England Lioness Karen Carney and Carlos Gu danced an American Smooth to "You Don't Own Me" by Saygrace featuring G-Eazy.²

The judges, including Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Shirley Ballas, offered positive feedback on their progress, particularly noting the advancements in Karen's posture and back flexibility.³ This praise was especially meaningful because Carney suffers from a chronic spinal condition called Scheuermann’s disease (The Independent).⁴

• Scheuermann’s Disease: This condition causes Scheuermann's kyphosis, which is an excessive, rigid curvature of the upper spine (Yahoo Life).⁵ Karen has lived with it since childhood, and it makes achieving the upright frame required for ballroom dances extremely difficult and physically challenging (The Independent).⁶

• Key Feedback: Head Judge Shirley Ballas was the judge who particularly moved Carlos to tears, telling Karen: "From week one to now your posture has come along so beautifully.⁷ I see your hard work... But I saw so many improvements so well done" (Devon Live).

• The Score: Despite mixed critiques on fluidity, the American Smooth earned a respectable score of 31 points, placing them in the upper half of the leaderboard for Week 8 (HELLO!⁸ Magazine, Radio Times).

Carlos Breaks Down

The emotional moment peaked when Carlos and Karen joined host Claudia Winkleman in the Claudiatorium.⁹ Comforted by his partner and Tess Daly, a visibly sobbing Carlos explained why the judges' comments meant so much:

"She worked so hard this week. I know ballroom is not her strength but she came into the ballroom and said: 'Carlos, I really want to try hard, but I know my back has problems and I really wanna try.' So hearing the judges say that…. You have no idea how hard she’s been working,” he shared, breaking down further (The Independent).

This raw display of pride and emotion resonated with many viewers, with one stating, "Carlos I’m crying as well. Please stop, it’s breaking my heart," and another calling him "the sweetest" (Entertainment Daily).

😡 The "Fake Crying" Backlash

However, the powerful reaction was not universally embraced. A vocal contingent on social media accused Carlos of exaggerating or "fake crying" for dramatic effect, suggesting the emotional displays on the show this year were "way way too over the top" (Entertainment Daily).

This criticism is often leveled at professional dancers, particularly in the later stages of the competition, and some fans pushed back against the negativity:

• "I'm in tears after Kaz and Carlos’ dance. She has worked so hard on her posture, even though it must be painful.¹⁰ It must be lovely for the pro when they hear the judges talk about the improvement they see in their celeb," one supporter tweeted, pointing to the genuine struggle Karen faces (Entertainment Daily).

Karen Carney, who also started to get choked up by her partner's tears, is no stranger to public scrutiny, having previously spoken about overcoming sexist trolling she received during her career as a sports pundit (Reddit, via The Independent). She and Carlos faced the public vote in the results show on Sunday, November 16, to see if they would secure their place in the famous Blackpool special.

Note: The results show airing on November 16 confirmed the couple was safe from the dance-off, securing their spot in the next week of the competition.