Strictly Come Dancing star details 'mix of nerves' ahead of return to BBC show
Strictly Come Dancing pro Karen Hauer has opened up on how she was left feeling as she returned to the dance studio to prepare for the upcoming series of the BBC One show
Sunday Brunch: Karen Hauer quizzed on Simon's cooking
Karen Hauer has shared her feelings of 'nerves' as she prepares for her return to Strictly Come Dancing, providing an update on her first week back in rehearsals.
The seasoned professional dancer, who holds the title of longest-serving female pro on the show, is gearing up to grace the ballroom once again this autumn when the BBC One dance competition launches its 2025 series.
The line-up of professional dancers set to dazzle audiences this year was announced by the BBC back in April. Alongside Karen, Aljaz Skorjanec, Amy Dowden, Nadiya Bychkova, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Gorka Marquez, and Luba Mushtuk are all returning to the dance floor.
They will be joined by Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Dianne Buswell, Nancy Xu, Kai Widdrington, Michelle Tsiakkas, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Nikita Kuzmin, and Vito Coppola.
In addition, two new faces will be joining the ranks: Alexis Warr, champion of So You Think You Can Dance, and Julian Caillon from Australia's Dancing With The Stars, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon are both joining the Strictly Come Dancing pro line-up
(Image: BBC/PA)
Following the announcement, the full roster of pros were spotted heading into their first day of rehearsals, spending a full week at their training base before enjoying a well-deserved weekend break.
As they embarked on the second week of rehearsals, with spirits high among the cast as they prepared for the group numbers due to be pre-recorded later this month, Karen opened up about her emotions.
In a post on her Substack page, she wrote: "This week felt... long. Not in a bad way, just in a 'what day is it again?' kind of way."
The Strictly star has been sharing updates on her social media
(Image: Karen Hauer Instagram)
She later candidly admitted: "Going in on Monday, I had a whole mix of nerves. My brain was like, 'You've done this a hundred times Karen,' and my body was like, 'Cool, but we still might panic.'".
"And I did a little. But instead of spiralling, I parked up early, blasted some music in the car, and gave myself time to just... breathe."
She added: "Walking into the studio, it hit me how much I'd missed it.
The pro's have been back to rehearsals over the past two weeks
(Image: Nadiya Bychkova Instagram)
"The faces, the familiar space, the unspoken buzz before the music starts. I eased in slowly - one hello at a time and before I knew it, the space felt like home again," she continued, sharing her thoughts eloquently.
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Previously, Karen had expressed her excitement about returning to Strictly on Instagram, stating: "14th series. Feels Good to be Back. Grateful @bbcstrictly #dancer #longestservingpro #14."
Strictly Come Dancing is set to return later this year on BBC One.
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