Television Dunbar began her career as a
DJ and karaoke host before she attended The Comedy Unit's open auditions in 1997 where she was cast in the
BBC Scotland comedy sketch show ''
Chewin' the Fat. She spoke about how she gave up a lucrative income to work fulltime on the show, but after Series 1 aired she struggled financially. She starred in The Karen Dunbar Show, which received two Golden Rose nominations for Best Comedy Show and Dunbar herself two personal nominations for Best Comedy Performance.'' Dunbar has presented
BBC Radio Scotland series such as
Karen Dunbar’s Beautiful Sunday and
Karen’s Summer Supplement, as well as being a team captain on the quiz show
Step Back in Time. Further pantomime roles include the dual role of the Good Fairy and the Wicked Stepmother in
Cinderella (2008–09) and
Widow Twankey in
Aladdin (2009–10). She appeared as a critic on ''
Britain's Got More Talent on 27 May 2008. She played the fairy godmother in Cinderella'' (2012–13) and appeared in the 2013–14 season as the Slave of the Ring in Aladdin. She has also played serious roles, including a performance in the poetic
monologue A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle adapted by
Denise Mina from Hugh MacDiarmid's poem
of the same name. Between 2012 and 2016, she was featured in
Phyllida Lloyd's trilogy of all-female Shakespeare plays at the
Donmar Warehouse, playing Casca in
Julius Caesar, Bardolph/Vernon in
Henry IV and Trinculo in
The Tempest.
Stand–up In 2025, Dunbar toured Scotland, and her homecoming show at
Ayr Town Hall was broadcast on
BBC Scotland in December 2025. Dunbar will embark on a stand–up tour of Scotland entitled
Aw Roon the Hooses beginning in September 2026. ==Personal life==