Overview
- Karen Hauer has been cast as Mavis, the dance teacher in Richard Harris’s Stepping Out, a comedy about amateur tap dancers preparing for a charity gala.
- The UK revival will tour this summer, opening at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre from August 13 to 29 before visiting Southend, Bromley and Fareham.
- Strictly Come Dancing confirmed her March departure after 14 years with an official tribute that called her the show’s longest-serving female professional.
- In her exit video, Hauer said it was the right time to close the chapter and thanked fans, colleagues and mentors, recalling joining the show with Bruce Forsyth and Len Goodman.
- Her move follows other reported pro departures before the 2026 series, including Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Marquez.