After 11 years on Strictly Come Dancing, Karen Hauer has announced her aspirations for a career move.
The pro dancer, 41, is presently teamed with comedian Eddie Kadi, and the duo has already won the first ten weeks of the season.
Karen, who started Strictly in 2012 and is the show’s longest-serving female professional, has now admitted that she’s ready for a change.
She won’t be leaving the ballroom floor, though.
Karen revealed: ‘I’d love to be a judge on Strictly. I love to teach and I love to guide people. I think that’s my calling, my next step.’
She did however say that at the moment she’s ‘really happy’ as a Strictly pro, ‘spreading that love of dance’.
‘As clichéd as it sounds, it can change your life, and some people still have no idea,’ she told Radio Times.
‘Doing a job that makes people happy and makes them smile is something I never take for granted, working on this show can be exhausting.
‘But the fact that we get to entertain the nation – that’s where we get the energy,’ Karen continued.
Fans were split earlier this week when Karen and Eddie received a 10 from chief judge Shirley Ballas.
This week, the couple performed a couple’s choice dance to the Men in Black theme song during Movie Week.
Eddie received high accolades from the judges, but Shirley’s reaction was amazing.
‘When you do something well, it needs rewarding. It was slick, it had style, it was edgy and entertaining, and you found your groove,’ she said.
‘Everything you love in dance you were able to bring today as a partnership.’
Eddie was worried that her statements would let Karen down.
He said: ‘I think I’ve met someone who can control my energy.’
The radio DJ went on: ‘There’s been moments where I’ve come to understand, especially from my teacher, my pro, she already expects a certain level.
‘So there’s moments where it’s like, oh my gosh, I know I can do it, but I’ve made this mistake 20million times, and I’ve let her down.
‘And then she has her way of reacting, and she gets in her corner and it’s almost like, oh my god, I’ve let her down.
‘Because you do get to the point where it’s literally teacher and student, and you’re looking up to her, and you go, I’ve let her down and then it is just silence.’
He added: ‘I just crumbled, just crumbled.
‘And then she picks you up again, like, we’re on a journey, that kind of thing.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday at 6.20pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
