Karen Barber facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karen Barber
Personal information
Full name	Karen Barber
Country represented	Great Britain
Born	(1961-06-21) 21 June 1961 (age 64) Manchester, England
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Former partner	Nicky Slater Kim Spreyer
Skating club	Richmond Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Representing  Great Britain European Championships Bronze 1983 Dortmund Ice dancing World Junior Championships Silver 1977 Megève Ice Dancing

Karen Barber is a famous British ice dancer. She was born in Manchester, England, on June 21, 1961. She won a bronze medal at the European Championships in 1983. Karen also competed in two Olympic Games with her skating partner, Nicky Slater.

Karen Barber's Early Life

Karen grew up in a place called Audenshaw. She lived on Droylsden Road when she was young.

Her Amazing Skating Career

Karen Barber started her skating journey early. She won a silver medal at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1977. Her partner for this achievement was Kim Spreyer.

Partnering with Nicky Slater

After skating with Kim, Karen teamed up with Nicky Slater. Together, they became a very successful ice dancing pair. They earned a bronze medal at the 1983 European Figure Skating Championships. This was a big moment in their careers.

Competing in the Olympics

Karen and Nicky represented Great Britain in the Olympic Winter Games twice. They competed in the 1980 Winter Olympics, where they finished 12th. They also skated at the 1984 Winter Olympics, achieving an impressive 6th place.

After Competitive Skating

After she stopped competing, Karen continued to be involved in ice skating. She worked as a coach, helping other skaters improve. She also performed professionally, showing off her skills to audiences.

Working on TV: Dancing On Ice

Karen Barber became well-known to many people through the TV show Dancing On Ice.

Her Role on the Show

From 2006, Karen was a judge on the show. She helped decide which celebrity skaters performed best. In 2011, she changed roles and became the head coach. She stayed as head coach for the 2011 and 2012 series. She returned to the judging panel in 2013 and remained there until 2014. Karen did not appear in the 2018 series. However, she returned as head coach for the 2019 series.

Karen Barber's Family Life

Karen Barber has two daughters named Laura and Emma. Their father is her former husband, Stephen Pickavance. Since 2011, Karen has been in a relationship with Christopher Dean, who is also a famous ice skater.

Her Skating Achievements

Here are some of Karen Barber's top results in ice dancing competitions:

With Nicky Slater

With Kim Spreyer