Karen Hauer has revealed there have been secret victims of the infamous Strictly Come Dancing curse.
The BBC show has long been known for the “curse” that befalls some contestants who end up dating their dance partner, despite some already being in a relationship.
While notable cases such as Seann Walsh kissing Katya Jones despite having a girlfriend at the time have made headlines, Katya hinted that other affairs went unnoticed.
Speaking to New! MagazineShe said of the curse: “I’ve seen things. I’m not going to talk about them. It exists. It’s there. Whoever wants to go play, it’s there.”
Karen acknowledged that celebrity contestants and their dance partners spend hours “up close and personal” together during rehearsals, but she has never gotten “to that point” because she respects her job and the people she works with.
Elsewhere in the interview, Karen mentioned that her colleague Giovanni Pernice left Strictly after being accused of “threatening and abusive behaviour” while working on the show last year.
Karen Hauer has revealed there have been secret victims of the infamous Strictly Come Dancing curse
The BBC show has long been known for the “curse” that befalls some contestants who end up having affairs with their dance partners, including Seann Walsh and Katya Jones.
She said: “We’ve all been really busy with our own tours. He’s on tour as well. So it’s been really hard, you know, to even see each other. But we’ll definitely miss him.”
Fellow Strictly contestant Gorka Marquez, who took part in the same interview, added: “I don’t know anything. I try to stay away from that. Strictly isn’t live. All I know is that I’m back and I’m excited that we’re going to start very soon.”
Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington, 50, was paired with Giovanni but left the BBC One show midway through the series in 2023 citing “personal issues”.
It was later revealed that he had been diagnosed with PTSD after his appearance on the show.
Amanda recently claimed the show gave her PTSD and reportedly demanded footage of their rehearsals together.
Since then, other celebrity contestants including Laura Whitmore, 39, Ranvir Singh, 46, and an unknown male contestant have also come forward to lodge complaints about his behaviour.
While it was claimed BBC bosses have banned the cast from discussing the “bullying discussion”, Shirley Ballas, the show’s head judge, has previously spoken out in support of Giovanni saying “the truth will come out”.
Earlier this month, Shirley and fellow judge Anton Du Beke showed their support for Giovanni by teaching at his Ballando dance workshop.
Karen said Giovanni Pernice will “definitely be missed” when he does not return to Strictly this year after being accused of bullying behaviour.
The professional dancer is at the centre of a bullying row following allegations of misconduct made by fellow Strictly contestant Amanda Abbington (pictured) and two other women.
A new dance class with Craig Revel Horwood and Oti Mabuse is not yet out, but is due to take place in London at the end of September.
At the event, Shirley said it was an “honour and a privilege” to be in the workshop and Giovanni added: “I’ve known him for 10 years and we’re good friends.”
Shirley gave the Italian professional a “huge thank you” for inviting her to his workshop and continued: “I will be a person who will be by his side forever. With him, what you see is what you get.”
The upcoming event, organised by Shirley and Anton together with Giovanni, is already sold out for the end of the month.
A new dance class with Oti Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood is not yet out, but is due to take place in London at the end of September.
Fans were quick to comment on the new announcement, with one saying: “It’s fabulous to see the other two judges supporting Gio.”
Another said: “I am very happy that Giovanni is receiving support from all the judges.”
Their support comes after Strictly Come Dancing’s 20th anniversary special at Buckingham Palace was cancelled this weekend due to the ongoing investigation into Pernice’s behaviour.
According to The Sun, the idea has been scrapped, despite discussions with the royal household, due to “logistical problems”, “scheduling clashes” and the investigation into misconduct of Giovanni Pernice, which was also a “factor” in the decision.