About the dancing for duo Gorka and Karen
go and perform in front of the audience. On Strictly, we kind of step back and we take different roles.
“We are more just the coaches who are guiding and teaching someone to dance and taking care of them in their journey – they’re the ones who get the spotlight.
“Both of them are enjoyable, equally, but it’s great to be able to perform with Karen and showcase what we are capable of and what we love to do.”
THEY first met on Strictly when Gorka joined the line-up in 2016. There was a connection between the fiery Latin pair. So do they speak Spanish to each other? “Yeah, that’s how we talk,” chuckles Karen. “No, we don’t like each other,” jokes Gorka. “We dance together because we have to, not because we want to.”
Karen laughs: “This is why it works, the fact that we actually get along really well professionally and outside of our careers as well. In this industry it’s really hard to find people that you click with, that you respect, and share the same passions.
“It’s just quite nice to have a show that embodies our friendship and how much fun we like to have, and also how passionate we are about our careers.”
There had been some online natter about Karen, how this year’s season of Strictly might be her last.
‘No part of me will hang up my shoes’
“Really?” she says, surprised. “I don’t know where these people are getting this information, but no, I’m not ready to go anywhere.and if I do go anywhere, I want to be on that judging panel.
“But there is no part of me that will ever, ever hang up my shoes.
“Unless they actually kick me out of Strictly, pull me out by my legs, there is no part of me ready to go at the moment. It was my 11th series that just went by, and I’m happily married to Strictly.
“She divorced the husband but married Strictly,” says Gorka referencing Karen’s three husbands.
Taking his cue, Karen quips, “I think Strictly’s my longest relationship ever.”
At this point the Zoom call without the pictures descends into a bad-signal muddle. Gorka vanishes, then comes back.
“Hello?” he says. “Can you hear me? Hello?” Can you hear me, I ask?
“Hello?” Gorka repeats. “Can you hear me now?” The PR comes back online. “Can you hear us, Gorka?” Silence. So as I say my goodbyes.
It’s a shame I couldn’t see his face, but Gorka wasn’t that tricky after all. Maybe next time I’ll suggest we meet in person and leave the laptops at home though...