Karen Hauer has admitted her pet dog Betty "saved her live" after her divorce from Kevin Clifton.
Karen Hauer has reflected on her divorce
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' pro and her ex-husband Kevin Clifton broke up in 2018 after three years of marriage, and she admitted the rescue pup from Bosnia helped her "get up out of bed" during the devastating period.
She told The Sun newspaper: "Betty saved my life, pretty much. Having that unconditional love and having her there to help me actually get up out of bed.
"My dog doesn’t judge me. She just looked at me and sat with me and she would pee if she needed to, which then told me that she needed to go outside.
“‘Take me outside then I won’t pee in the house! Take me out. Get some fresh air.' "
While the 41-year-old star is "structured" and "disciplined" thanks to her work, she was rocked by her breakup.
She recalled: "I am a professional dancer, and I am structured and I am disciplined. But when emotional things happen to you, nothing you do on the outside helps.
“I went through a really tough divorce, and it was the most difficult thing I’ve faced on my own — and, I guess, in a spotlight.
“It’s almost like you want to hide and go into your own little cocoon.”
She "didn't want to speak to anybody" or "be around people" after the breakup, so being with pooch Betty had a huge positive impact.
She added: “Those little tail wags and little looks, and teaching her how to sit and how to give high fives — it always brought extreme joy to me.
“Those little things kind of helped me get through.”
Vanessa has "no regrets", and has since moved on herself after marrying fitness professional Jordan Wyn-Jones, 34, last year, while she has since adopted three more rescue dogs.
She said: "They’re happy to just see you happy and feel that you’re happy."