18 October 2023 , 15:23
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Strictly Come Dancing professional Karen Hauer is making moves in this year's series alongside her celebrity partner Eddie Kadi. But away from the glitter and ballroom magic, the 41-year-old Venezuelan-American star is nursing a broken heart again.
Last week the news broke that Karen, who attended the Pride of Britain Awards without her wedding ring, had split from her third husband, Jordan Wyn-Jones, whom she married last June. A source told the Mirror: "Karen and Jordan have had a tough time in the past few months and decided to split. It's obviously very sad for both of them. But there's no ill will whatsoever. The split is amicable, and they wish each other the best."
While it appears the pair parted ways on good terms, Karen has previously said her split from her second husband Kevin Clifton was the "toughest period of her life". The World Mambo Champion was left heartbroken after fellow professional dancer Kevin dumped her, before striking up a relationship with Stacey Dooley shortly afterwards.
Reflecting on their time together, she admitted she was 'blindsided' by how quickly her ex-husband of three years moved on with the broadcaster, whom he met during the 2018 season of Strictly, while she was still "struggling to get out of bed" over the heartache.
Kevin and Karen were married for three years (PA)
Kevin moved on quickly with former contestant Stacey Dooley (mirror.co.uk)In an interview with The Sun Karen praised her rescue dog Betty for helping her through such a painful time, stating: "I went through a really tough divorce, and it was the most difficult thing I've faced on my own. Betty saved my life, pretty much. Having that unconditional love and having her there to help me actually get up out of bed."
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Kevin announced their split on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show - just as they prepared to go on a joint tour together. Speaking in 2021, Karen said she would 'never, ever have let go' of her marriage to Kevin and wanted them to battle through the hard times. In a separate interview with The Divorce Club podcast, Karen candidly recalled: "I would have never let go of it.
"I wouldn't have never, never let go of it. I would have liked to have fought for it and it took me a year after we separated to actually let go of him. It took me a long time to cut the umbilical cord that I had connected to him. Because it was connected for such a long time and at a completely different level than my first marriage, because this marriage was what I was always looking for."
Despite her sadness, the pair continued to work together on the hit BBC competition and they now appear to be on good terms, with Karen even offering her congratulations to Kevin and Stacey after the birth of their daughter Minnie in January 2023. When it comes to whether Clifton will tie the knot again after his broken marriage with Karen, Stacey has made it clear that a wedding is not on the cards.
"Marriage has never been massively important to me," the documentary-maker said. "Also, it's well documented that Kev's done it a couple of times before." She added: "It's just never been something I've dreamt about. But I couldn't have done this (motherhood) without Kev. It's weird. I've always loved him, but it's a different love I have for Kev now."