Strictly Come Dancing star Karen Hauer has spoken candidly about her split from ex-husband, Kevin Clifton.
The professional dancers, who shocked their fans in 2018 after confirming the end of their three-year marriage, continued to work alongside each other on Strictly before Kevin's departure in 2020.
MORE: The Strictly Come Dancing relationships that didn't stand the test of time
WATCH: Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton on working together despite split
Speaking on The Divorce Club podcast with host Samantha Baines, the Venezuelan pro surprisingly confessed that "things got really nasty overnight" after becoming "jealous" for not getting enough attention from her partner.
MORE: Everything you need to know about Strictly star Karen Hauer's love life
SEE: Strictly's Karen Hauer's stunning home is interiors goals
Admitting it was hard to let go of her ex, Karen explained: "Obviously, other things happen, there are other factors that happened, that really hurt us both. But I thought... 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. It took me a year after we separated to actually let go of him."
The 38-year-old choreographer confessed she "learned a huge lesson" from their split and claimed the attention from the public made her "stronger".
The former couple continued to work together on Strictly after their split
"It took me a long time to cut the umbilical cord that I had connected to him," she continued. "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. But I learned a lot. Huge lessons for me.
MORE: All about the Strictly cast's fabulous fitness secrets
"Because of that breakup and what I had to go through emotionally, physically work-wise and in the public eye - it made me stronger, and it made me realise what I really need to work on, and that was me."
The star added: "I had to work with him for two, three years after we got separated and it was hard because you can see how much love you have for one another, and the respect."
Since parting ways, Kevin has found love with his 2018 celebrity partner Stacey Dooley, while Karen recently split from opera singer David Webb.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.