Former Strictly Come Dancing dancer Karen Hauer has shown off her fit physique in a bikini during a countryside getaway with boyfriend Simon Davidson following her departure from the BBC show.
The 44-year-old Venezuelan dancer was cut from the hit ballroom competition alongside four other professional dancers in what has been described as a major shake-up by programme producers.
Months after losing her role as the longest-serving female professional on the show, Hauer brushed aside her woes during an idyllic spa break in the Hertfordshire countryside with her 40-year-old partner.
Flashing a smile and a peace sign at the camera, Hauer showcased her toned abs in a skimpy beige bikini as she emerged from a sauna. In another image, the make-up free dancer pouted alongside Davidson with her hair cascading over her shoulders.
Romantic countryside retreat
The getaway updates also featured Davidson taking a cold plunge, with Hauer posting a photograph of her beau enduring an ice bath during their rural stay.
Other snapshots from their romantic trip showed the couple sharing lunch together and enjoying a dog walk through the countryside.
Hauer went Instagram official with Davidson in January 2024. The romance followed her unexpected split from her third husband, Jordan Wyn-Jones.
Born in Venezuela, Hauer joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 for its tenth series, eventually becoming the longest-serving female professional dancer in the history of the BBC flagship Saturday night entertainment programme.
Strictly pro line-up shake-up
Hauer was axed by show producers in a decision branded a bloodbath for the professional team. Dancers Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Gorka Marquez were also released from the show as part of the massive restructuring.
The remaining professional line-up includes fan favourites Dianne Buswell, Nancy Xu, Vito Coppola, Julian Caillon, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Amy Dowden, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Jowita Przystał, Aljaž Škorjanec, Alexis Warr and Kai Widdrington.
To fill the vacant spots, show executives recruited five new professional dancers: Ukrainian dancer Aleksandra Isaeva, Italian performer Cristian Priori, South African latin champion Lethabo Monametsi, Canadian dancer Mark Karmalita and UK National Ballroom Champion Maddie Ingoldsby.
Former judges react to changes
The new line-up has drawn mixed reactions from former show stars. Choreographer Arlene Phillips, who served as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing from its 2004 launch until 2009, questioned the new hires during an appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain last month.
Phillips expressed reservations about the incoming cast, saying: "The new pros, as long as they can dance. I mean, most of them are sort of influencers and they talk an awful lot. As long as those pros can dance."
In contrast, former judge Bruno Tonioli insisted the dramatic cull of professional dancers was simply part of the brutal reality of showbusiness when speaking to the Daily Mail at the British LGBT Awards on Thursday night.
The 70-year-old flamboyant Italian star, who served on the judging panel from the show's launch in 2004 until 2022, argued that the long-running BBC series must continue evolving to maintain its success.
Tonioli compared professional dancing to elite athletics, explaining that squad rotation is standard in competitive fields.
"Dancing is like sport, there's a point when you know to have the best team you have to get the best players," Tonioli said. "It's nothing personal. I've been a dancer, I know what it's like. There's a point when you say I cannot do it. Your body can't perform at the same level. There is nothing nasty about it."
He added that refreshing the cast offers crucial opportunities for emerging talent across the industry.
"Things need to be kept up to date and you have to have new blood, new people, opportunities," Tonioli added. "There's a whole new generation that needs exposure, and that's one of the great things that this show does. It's showbusiness, if it was easy, everyone would do it."
New hosts and celebrity cast
The professional dancer shake-up follows major changes to the presenting team. Television presenter Emma Willis, former professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe are taking over hosting duties from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who stepped down last year after leading the show for a decade.
Meanwhile, the upcoming celebrity contestant line-up has been lambasted by fans as the worst ever in the 22-year history of the BBC series.
The celebrity cast for the upcoming series includes former Love Island star Dani Dyer, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, dog trainer Graeme 'The Dogfather' Hall, YouTuber John Nellis and actress Jaime Winstone.
