Strictly Come Dancing pro Karen Hauer has confirmed that rehearsals are due to start in late July despite concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The dancer, 38, told FUBAR Radio she’s waiting ‘day by day’ to see what bosses have planned for the new series following reports this year’s stars may have to adhere to social distancing and perform without an audience due to the crisis.
Karen also admitted that like much of the nation she’s struggled to adjust to life in lockdown, and in difficult moment broke down in tears while staring at one of her kitchen cupboards.
Returning? Strictly Come Dancing pro Karen Hauer confirmed that rehearsals are due to start in late July amid the coronavirus pandemic, during an appearance on FUBAR Radio (pictured)
Speaking to Joanna Chimonides and Stephen Leng on FUBAR’s Access All Areas with her boyfriend David Webb, Karen said as of now she and the rest of the pros are due to begin rehearsals later this summer.
She said: ‘We usually start rehearsals in late July. As far as I know, fingers crossed I’m hoping it’s still going forward, but we’re just kind of waiting day by day to see what they tell us.
‘Obviously we’d love for it to happen!’
Stay apart: The dancer said she’s waiting ‘day by day’ to see what bosses have planned for the new series as it remains in doubt due to the crisis (pictured with Chris Ramsey)
Karen also said she and the pros may have to ‘get creative’ if they are asked to create performances that adhere to social distancing.
She added: ‘That’s just gonna be… side by side maybe? It can always happen. We can always make it work. It doesn’t always have to be in contact. We can get creative!’
Karen has been in lockdown with her beau David, and admitted at times she has been struggling.
She candidly said: ‘Mentally it’s definitely hard. It is hard to be at home all the time and to go out only for specifics and not being able to see your family.’
Big plans: Karen also said she and the pros may have to ‘get creative’ if they are asked to create performances that adhere to social distancing
At home recently, Karen also confessed that one encounter with her cookie cupboard left in tears, leading her to wonder whether she was losing her mind.
She said: ‘I stared at my cookie cabinet for about an hour and I just stood there. I think I cried a little bit, then I giggled to myself as well. I was eating a cracker and then I cried some more.’
Karen’s emotional outburst even sparked concern from her opera singer boyfriend David who asked whether she was on the phone when she spoke out loud.
She continued: ‘I was just staring at the cookies going, ‘I think something’s wrong!’
Worries: Karen has been in lockdown with her boyfriend David Webb (pictured), and admitted at times she has been struggling
Despite the lockdown, Karen has been keeping herself occupied by co-hosting a virtual ‘Home Festival’ with fellow Strictly pro Oti Mabuse and their respective partners.
Strictly’s future has remained in doubt for many weeks, ever since the nation was placed in coronavirus lockdown.
Bosses have insisted there are contingency plans being put in place so the new series can go ahead later this year, though its possible the live shows will be filmed without a studio audience.
Speaking out: The star also spoke about her emotional reaction to her cookie cupboard, during the interview with Joanna Chimonides and Stephen Leng
Comparing the series to RuPaul’s Drag Race during a virtual production meeting, BBC’s director of content Charlotte Moore said: ‘People think if it is a shiny floor it needs an audience and I don’t think that’s necessarily true.’
Earlier this month, insiders revealed to MailOnline that due to BBC executives ‘not knowing what world we’ll be in’ when the show hits screens, they are keeping options open.
Despite reports claiming one option was to keep the celebrity and dance professionals in isolation together, sources insisted this was not plausible.
Drama: The new series of Strictly has already been thrown in doubt after the TV industry was all-but shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic (the 2019 cast are pictured above)
Insiders told us: ‘Bosses are looking at contingency plans but just don’t know where there’ll be at. They don’t know what world we’ll be in.
‘The international versions are running. Germany has no audience and are isolating but not in any kind of Big Brother style. Isolating individually then rehearsing.
‘Strictly are looking at options. At this stage, there’s no chance they could isolate as individuals or couples. That would leave any married or parent dancers not seeing their families for up to three months.
‘At the moment, it’s not being considered. No one knows where we’ll be in the world – if the series is a much shorter run, say. The isolation is not something that’s currently on the table.’
Claims: Insiders recently revealed executives are keeping their options open due to the global crisis (pictured L-R Bruno Tonioli, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Craig Revel Horwood)