Karen Hauer and Mark Wright continued to climb the leaderboard last weekend when they blew the judges away with their Charleston.
One of the highlights of the weekend, their magic-inspired routine scored them a whopping 36 out of 40. Now the competition is heading towards the final stretch, Karen and Mark are determined to stay in the competition as long as possible.
We caught up with Karen ahead of tonight’s live show to talk about Blackpool, discuss the pressure that builds each week, and to find out what to expect from this weekend’s shows.
Last weekend you did an amazing Charleston in Blackpool. How do you feel it went?
It was definitely a big surprise. It was an intense week and the fact we actually pulled it through and got four 9s was an absolute thrill for the both of us. We were extremely excited.
You were near the top of the leaderboard with an incredible score of 36 out of 40. The competition is getting really close this series isn’t it?
Yes! There were four ties. I don’t know what the judges and the public are going to do. They have a really intense competition in their hands. I feel like Mark has really pushed through and put himself up there with the likes of Frankie, Pixie, Caroline and Simon who are amazing. Mark and I are really humbled by the fact that with hard work and lots of hours of practice and going crazy at the studio you can really make a difference if you put 100% into it.
It must be a real confidence booster to perform at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool and come out with a score like that?
Well you never feel 100% confident because it’s a pretty intense competition. He’s feeling really good about himself but it also brings a little bit of pressure to keep improving. We try not to think about it too much.
What will you be dancing on tonight’s live show?
We have the Tango!
How has Mark been getting on with the routine in training this week?
We were training Tenerife for the past 4 days so we had very limited time. We were actually under our usual rehearsal hours. He’s a hard worker and he’s getting really strong. It’s gone well and I think we’ll rehearse for another hour on set today. I’m happy with it. I wish we had a little bit more time but we’ll just go out there and give it our all like always.
What can you tease us about the pro dances this weekend?
I think the pro dance this week is for the pros that have been eliminated. I haven’t seen it! Kevin and I will be dancing to Barry Manilow performing Copacabana, which is very exciting. I’m happy about that.
How important is it for your fans to pick up the phone or vote online for you tonight?
It’s vital! Without them we wouldn’t be here. Without the public vote and public support we wouldn’t be here. Every week we’ve been so thankful for their support. We’d love to stay in the competition and keep improving. We’re representing those that have no moves. Marky No Moves has becomes Marky Has Some Moves so we’re representing all those men and women out there that don’t think they can dance; they can really surprise people and come out and do something they thought they’d never be able to do. I feel Mark is representing that. We’re doing it for them and those people who go to the parties and only have two steps and don’t feel like they can do much more.
We love the fact that we’ve passed Blackpool and we’d love to stay as long as possible. We’d love them to give us a little bit more of a chance and keep us in the competition and vote for us. Either way we’re really humbled we’ve made it so far already. We’re really proud of ourselves. Thanks to the public who have been voting for us so far.
Tune in to Strictly Come Dancing 2014 tonight at 7pm on BBC One. Watch Mark and Karen’s Charleston from Blackpool below:
