EXCLUSIVE: Strictly professional Karen Hauer explained each star has their own unique routine they do before taking to the famous BBC stage – and some of them are pretty bizarre

Strictly Come Dancing professional Karen Hauer has lifted the lid on some of the most surprising backstage rituals the stars take part in on the show.

Loyal fans of the BBC One dance competition will remember he 42-year-old ballroom dancer first joined the programme back in 2012 during its 10th series on the airwaves. After 12 years on the show, she has worked with some of the biggest names in showbiz including reality star Mark Wright, Hollywood actor Greg Wise and the late TV chef Dave Myers.

Away from the show, the brunette beauty has also taken part on several successful nationwide tours. Back in 2020, the pro dancer teamed up with her co-star Gorka Marquez and produced the sell-out Firedance tour which wowed fans across the country.

READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing 2024 rumoured line-up including Gino D’Acampo and Ted Lasso icon

READ MORE:Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories

Now the stars are back at it again, this time with their new show Speakeasy which captures the excitement of ballroom in a whole new light. The dynamic duo, who are set to return for the 20th anniversary of Strictly, have certainly been hard at work preparing for another sell-out tour.

Strictly’s Karen Hauer has lifted the lid on some of the cast’s most bizarre rituals (Image: PR)
In between rehearsals, the Venezuelan-American dancer has exclusively sat down with Daily Star to spill the beans on some of her co-stars’ backstage rituals before taking to the stage. She told us: “In terms of little rituals, this season that just passed during the professional’s tour, Luba and I had a little thing.

“It was like a little dance that we always did before we went on stage, and Nikita always came around the stage clapping. But we all had different handshakes with him.

Promoted Stories

“Gorka always gave a high five and I always held Graziano’s hand before going on because we would go on together so we would just hold hands. So we all have our different things that we do with one another.”

All the dancers have their own secret handshake (Image: BBC)
The performer went on to reveal one weird habit that she has always done ever since she started performing on stage. She went on: “I mean I still get nervous before I go on stage and I’m a pacer so I do pace around.

“And I spit on the floor, which is really weird. So, I spit on the floor and then I step on it with my shoe, but that’s something that I’ve always done for forever.” Another important aspect the dancer makes sure to do before every performance is an hour-long warm up backstage.

She confessed: “I think for me, it’s preparation. I need to be downstairs, backstage. If there’s a 7.30pm show then I have to be backstage by 6.30pm or a little bit before it.

“If I’m there at 6.45pm then I’m late. I need to check all my stuff and then I go through a little process of warming up and shutting myself off from everything.”

The pro dancer will always spit on the floor before a performance (Image: BBC)
Karen explained that it often gets so mad backstage that she needs the extra time to decompress before the madness begins. She even admitted that she will “hide” from BBC bosses when it all gets too much while filming.

The TV favourite confessed: “I sometimes have to hide to actually get some time [alone]. So I’ll go upstairs for five minutes and then if I have to go to the dress run or any kind of practices, I come down.

“But most of the time you don’t have time [to relax] because most of the time you’re always doing something. We’re literally pulled from hair and makeup to wardrobe and then back again.”

Tickets for their new Speakeasy tour are available now (Image: PR)
Speaking about her brand new show with Gorka, the ballroom dancer shared her excitement to take their show to the West End. Karen gushed: “Partnering again on a new tour with my good friend Gorka is so exciting and we can’t wait for audiences up and down the UK to see what we’ve put together for them.

“We’re bringing a new look and feel to this show; all new music, dances and a theme where we’ll be bringing you behind a secret door for an evening of total entertainment and escapism. We are also absolutely thrilled that for the first time we will be taking our tour to the West End.

“It’s shaping up to be the most incredible adventure and we can’t wait for people to join us on the journey.”

Fans can grab their tickets for their new Speakeasy tour now on www.speakeasylive.co.uk.

Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.