Karen is leaving the show after 14 years

Strictly Come Dancing's longest serving female professional dancer, Karen Hauer, is leaving the show after 14 years.

The 43-year-old Venezuelan–American dancer was very emotional in a video she posted on social media announcing the news.

She said it was "the right time to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas I'm passionate about", and said she hoped she could now have the time to go for nice lunches with hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman who have also left the show.

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Karen moved to the UK from New York in America to be on Strictly, with "no idea what I was getting myself into" she said.

Her first partner on the ballroom floor was Westlife's Nicky Byrne in 2012.

She's also danced with Radio 1's Jamie Laing and with him she made it to second place.

Last year she was paired with Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (otherwise known as Nitro).

Karen thanked her fans who have "witnessed all of my different hairstyles" and the Strictly team who she said "take such good care of us".

She added: "I'll even miss standing front of the judges, can you believe that? Smiling politely while sometimes secretly disagreeing - it's been an honour to share the ballroom with them."

She's never won a series of Strictly but she did make it to the final with Jamie Laing and came second

The BBC released a statement, saying: "We would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Karen Hauer for her incredible contribution to Strictly Come Dancing over the last 14 years.

"As the longest-serving female professional dancer in the history of the show, Karen has given so much of herself and her time to the programme, and we are extremely grateful for the passion, creativity and dedication she has brought to every single performance."

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