Strictly Come Dancing professional Karen Hauer has criticised fellow dancer AJ Pritchard after he called on the BBC show to prioritise British talent over international performers, branding his comments "low."
Pritchard, who is from Staffordshire and competed on Strictly for four series, told the Daily Mail it is "really important for a show like Strictly to really benefit the British dancers."
Hauer, 44, who is from Venezuela and was Strictly's longest-serving female professional before leaving the show this year after 14 years, said she disagreed with his stance. "As an immigrant, I've worked everywhere, and I think that our world right now is about seeing different things," she said. "Maybe there's dancers here in the UK that don't want to join the show, that haven't come forward."
Hauer defends the show's global cast
Hauer said becoming a Strictly professional takes more than dancing ability. "It's a very unique casting. Not only do you have to be a good dancer, you have to be a good teacher, you have to be good at talking," she said. "You don't just dance on Strictly, you're a coach, you're a therapist, your communication skills have to be very good. There's a lot that goes into being a Strictly dancer. So if you want to come in and audition, that's great."
She pointed out that Pritchard himself recently travelled to the United States to audition for Dancing With the Stars, the American equivalent of Strictly. "You don't hear Americans say we need only Americans," she said. "We're all immigrants, we're all doing the best that we can, and we're all gonna take the opportunities that we can. So yeah, it was a little bit low of him to say that. Don't say that."
Hauer added that she still rates Pritchard highly despite the disagreement. "I love AJ, I think he's brilliant, he's very, very talented, and he took an opportunity [in the US] and everyone will take the opportunities that come to them, so all good," she said. "He's always well spoken, I think he probably just didn't really think about [his comments] too much."
What AJ Pritchard said
Pritchard told the Daily Mail there were "so many great British professionals who can really use this opportunity to showcase what they can do," adding that in the past dancers had "been a bit chill, a bit playing it safe," while he never plays it safe with choreography, lifts and tricks.
He doubled down last month, telling The Sun: "I think, upsettingly, I would love to see more British dancers on the show. We're in the UK, I'm proud to be British, and there are so many fantastic boys and girls out there who would love the opportunity. So really kind of regionally, it would support the country that we are proud to be. I would love to see that, personally."
Oti Mabuse also hits back
Hauer is not the only Strictly professional to challenge Pritchard's remarks. Former dancer Oti Mabuse, asked whether it was fair that Pritchard was competing for a place on Dancing With the Stars through The Next Pro, an American competition, said: "That guy is so controversial. He might have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with his personality, right? We can admit that as well. Like, him coming out in public and saying he wants British dancers on a British show because Strictly is Britain."
Mabuse argued the show's biggest stars have not been British, naming Aljaz Skorjanec, Giovanni Pernice and Janette Manrara, as well as current professionals Vito Coppola, Nikita Kuzmin, Alexis Warr and Katya Jones, and past dancers Vincent Simone, Ola Jordan, Kristina Rihanoff and Natalie Lowe. "Those are the legends. And they're not British," she said. "Strictly is different. We are global. Our professionals are global because that global mixture is what makes us beautiful and is what makes us special."
Hauer's next projects
Hauer is preparing for her first winter without Strictly in 14 years but has kept busy with a pantomime and a theatre show booked in.
She is also working with Burns Pet Nutrition to host the Burns Bravery Awards in November, and is calling on the public to nominate Britain's bravest dog, from search and rescue and assistance dogs to rescue dogs, working dogs and family companions.
"I'm a dog lover and I have four incredible, rescue dogs who mean the world to me, so being part of these incredible awards is a dream come true in a way," Hauer said. "We're asking for everyone across the country to nominate a dog that's done something for them or that they've seen doing incredible jobs. We want to hear their stories and we want to share their stories with everyone around them."
She added: "What I say about my dogs is that I rescued them, but they actually rescued me. They support us, they comfort us, it's beautiful. The instincts that they have to nurture and to know when you're in danger, when you are feeling low, how it helps with our mental well-being, how it helps with our physical well-being. We have our own little personal trainers with us and our psychologists."
