There have been plenty of reports circulating about the fate of Strictly Come Dancing's professional dancers ahead of the next series, with five reportedly facing the chop, including Karen Hauer.
Karen, 43, is currently the show's longest-serving professional, having joined the show in its tenth season back in 2012. Along the way, she has danced with the likes of Nicky Byrne, Dave Myers, Charles Venn and Greg Wise.
The star also danced with Sunday Brunch presenter Simon Rimmer, with the pair finishing in 11th place back in 2017, and after hearing the news about Karen's reported axe, the star paid tribute to his dance partner.
Sharing a picture from their time on the show, Simon wrote: "Absolutely gutted that the very best teacher and dancer @karenhauer has been axed from @bbcstrictly - thanks for everything Karen. #friendsforlife."
However, as the BBC hasn't yet officially confirmed the departures, several of Simon's fans were confused by his post.
One said: "Until there is an official statement from the BBC then it's all pure speculation. There was supposed to have been a cull of long serving Pros last year and it didn’t happen. Ignore it for now," while a second added: "I honestly didn’t believe it because it wasn’t confirmed on Instagram when I looked it up."
However, others were upset about the possibility of Karen leaving, with a third posting: "Karen should not have been axed. It’s as shameful as when Arlene got the boot. You cannot fire somebody for age anymore on the BBC so what can be the reason?"
A fourth lamented: "No I love @karenhauer, she's such a beautiful dancer," and a fifth commented: "Gutted. Strictly won't be the same without her!"
Strictly axe
While the BBC hasn't yet officially commented on any cast changes, over the weekend it emerged that up to five professional dancers were facing the chop for the upcoming series. The other professionals believed to be leaving the show are Nadiya Bychkova, 36, Gorka Marquez, 35, Luba Mushtuk, 36, and Michelle Tsiakkas, 30.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy LevyNone of the cast have commented on the possibility of their departures, with many instead sharing posts marking International Women's Day, while Michelle also posted clips of herself and partner Simone Arena performing at a set of Jive masterclasses at Donaheys in Windsor.
