STRICTLY KEVIN WALTZES OFF
Stacey’s dancer boyfriend quits show and could double earnings
HE made the final five times, lifted the glitterball trophy once and found love on the dancefloor.
Now Strictly Come Dancing’s Kevin Clifton has announced that he is waltzing away from the BBC show after seven ‘wonderful’ years.
The 37-year-old said yesterday: ‘The time has come to move on and focus on other areas of my life and career.’
Clifton joined the line-up in 2013 and won the 16th series with documentary-maker Stacey Dooley – now his girlfriend.
His departure comes after he was reportedly disgruntled at being partnered with 60-year- old Anneka Rice in last year’s BBC series – they left in week two.
He is also believed to be keen to build his own personal brand and boost his earning power.
Clifton, who is currently performing in The Wedding Singer musical in the West End of London, reportedly earned £350,000 last year – but could double that as a free agent.
In 2019 he was paid around £50,000 for Strictly, £80,000 for being a judge on ITV show All Star Musicals and made up to £10,000 a week on tour with dance shows Burn The Floor and Rock Of Ages – totalling £220,000. More musical theatre and dance shows are now set to follow.
Clifton, who has his own podcast, is also said to be releasing an album of songs. The dancer, from Grimsby in Lincolnshire, wrote on social media yesterday: ‘The past seven years have been some of the most wonderful years of my life.
‘I am grateful to the BBC and Strictly Come Dancing for giving me the opportunity to have been a part of something truly special.
‘Since first being called “Kevin From Grimsby” by Sir Bruce Forsyth in 2013 I have experienced the highs of five finals... and then the ultimate of winning the 2018 series with Stacey Dooley.’
The dancer added: ‘I want to leave on a high and have therefore decided the time has come to move on and focus on other areas of my life and career.’
Three times-married Clifton, whose sister Joanne left the show in 2017 to pursue her musical theatre career, praised Strictly as being ‘the best show on TV’, insisting: ‘Pre-2013 I used to watch every week. Now I look forward to returning to being a fan and cheering on my friends who keep dancing.’ The dancer had denied striking up a romance with Miss Dooley, 32, on the show. She was with boyfriend Sam Tucknott at the time. Clifton was previously married to fellow Strictly professional Karen Hauer but the pair split in 2018.
He was a choreographer on the show before he hit the dancefloor with his first celebrity partner TV host Susanna Reid. Other dance partners included singers Frankie Bridge and Louise Redknapp.
The BBC said: ‘Kevin has been such a brilliant part of Strictly for the past seven years. He will be hugely missed by fans and by his Strictly family.’ Miss Dooley shared a photo of her and Clifton on Instagram and wrote that he ‘will always be the King of Strictly’.