Strictly Come Dancing pro Karen Hauer has confirmed that she is leaving the BBC dance competition after 14 years.
The 43-year-old Venezuelan–American dancer, who is the programme’s longest-running female pro, broke down in tears as she shared the news of her departure with fans in a video posted to Instagram.
Hauer said it was the “right time” for her to close her Strictly chapter and planned to “take on new projects in other areas that I’m passionate about” rather than continue performing on the much-loved BBC show.
The dancer, who described herself as “a young girl from the Bronx”, said Strictly had “completely changed” her life as a “human being”.
“I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people and brilliant celebrity partners who have become close friends and people I admire so much,” she said, adding that she had moved to the UK for the programme with “no idea what I was getting myself into”.
Hauer shared that she was going to miss the welfare staff on the series who “take such good care” of the Strictly pros. The series has endured numerous scandals during her 14 years on the programme, including allegations against Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.
The 43-year-old, who spoke out last season over the Strictly judge’s “harsh” choreography feedback, added she’d even miss Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse, and Craig Revel Horwood despite “secretly disagreeing” with them.
The star’s last celebrity partner on the series was Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, while the year before she danced with former footballer Paul Merson, who finished in 12th place.
Hauer added that she would always be cheering her fellow professionals on from the sidelines, despite leaving the programme, and recalled working with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth and Len Goodman when she first joined the show.
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The dancer’s departure follows the exit of Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who aired their last episode of the programme in December. The professional said she hoped she could now be “ladies who lunch” with the duo from this autumn.
Hauer assured fans that her announcement “isn’t a goodbye, it’s simply see you later, because I will never stop dancing”.
The BBC later released a statement, saying: “We would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Karen Hauer for her incredible contribution to Strictly Come Dancing over the last 14 years.
‘As the longest-serving female professional dancer in the history of the show, Karen has given so much of herself and her time to the programme, and we are extremely grateful for the passion, creativity and dedication she has brought to every single performance.”
The long-standing professional’s exit comes after reports claiming that several professional dancers have been given the axe ahead of the 2026 series.
It’s believed that Gorka Márquez, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Nadiya Bychkova have all been told they won’t be returning to the dancefloor.
