In a heart-wrenching moment on Strictly Come Dancing’s It Takes Two, the show’s longest-serving professional dancer Karen Hauer was reduced to tears as she paid an emotional tribute to her former celebrity partner, the beloved Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers.
Appearing in a pre-recorded segment, Karen looked back on some of her most cherished Strictly memories, from high-energy routines with Jamie Laing and Charles Venn to the pure joy she shared on the floor with Dave Myers, who tragically passed away in February 2024 at the age of 66 after a brave battle with cancer.
As soon as she began speaking about Dave, Karen’s voice cracked. Fighting back floods of tears, she revealed just how transformative their 2013 partnership had been for her.
“Dave Myers was the first celebrity that I danced with that showed me how to have fun,” she said, her eyes glistening.
She fondly recalled their unforgettable Salsa, complete with Karen sporting a towering fruit-filled headdress while pushing a giggling Dave around the floor in a shopping trolley, maracas in hand and ruffles flying.
“I had a head full of fruit, he had maracas and ruffles… we were laughing with each other, and we wanted everyone to join us in that,” she remembered, a smile breaking through the tears.
For Karen, only in her second year on the show at the time, Dave became so much more than a partner. “I was still quite lost on who I wanted to be on the show and how to present myself,” she admitted. “He unlocked that key for me and went, ‘This is how you have fun, Karen.’”
Through laughter and tears, she added: “He showed me how to make fun of myself, and since then I’ve definitely taken that on board. He took care of me… and I just miss him.”
The raw emotion on screen echoed the tribute Karen posted when Dave passed away last year: “Dave, You taught me how to have fun and to take on the day with a big smile. Rest well my dear friend. I’m going to miss you so much.”
Nearly two years on, it’s clear the joy, kindness, and infectious spirit of Dave Myers still lives on in the heart of the dancer he helped find her sparkle.