Strictly Come Dancing’s longest-serving professional dancer, Karen Hauer, has addressed her future on the BBC show.
Karen joined the show back in 2012 and has just completed her 11th series of the popular ballroom dancing show.
So is the 40-year-old dancer considering hanging up her dancing shoes, or will she be back for the 2023 series?
She’s exclusively shared her thoughts in an interview with Entertainment Daily…
Strictly pro Karen Hauer on her show future
Karen started out on the BBC ballroom dancing series in 2012 and, should she return, the 2023 run would be her 12th season.
She’s been paired with everyone from Nicky Byrne to Jayde Adams, but hasn’t yet raised the Strictly Glitterball Trophy aloft.
So will she return this year to try her luck again?
I will dance until my body doesn’t let me any more. And even then, I don’t think I could stop!
“I certainly hope to be back,” she told ED! exclusively.
“To be the longest-serving pro is such an incredible thing to think about – I don’t take it for granted.
“The past 11 years have kind of gone by in a flash. In some ways that first year with Nicky Byrne seems like yesterday, but I was also so new to it all and now I know the show back to front and inside out!”
She added: “Every year has been so special and I’ve made some life-long friends in former celebrity partners and fellow professionals.
“It sounds cliché, but it really is a family.”
‘Excited’ to head off on tour with the Strictly pros
Before the dancers for the new series of Strictly are confirmed, though, Karen has her own tour to complete.
She’s currently in the middle of Firedance, a show she’s staging with Gorka Marquez.
Then she’s off on tour with her fellow Strictly pros.
“I’m really excited about – that’s always a very good show,” she said.
‘I’ll dance until my body doesn’t let me any more’
So what does the future hold for Karen? Well, she insists she’ll still be dancing in five years time.
“100%!” she declared.
“I will dance until my body doesn’t let me any more. And even then, I don’t think I could stop!”
Firedance runs till April 1. Visit the website here for more details and tickets.
Read more: Karen Hauer declares ‘we’ll need a creche’ amid ‘exciting’ Strictly baby news
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