The Games’ Kevin Clifton: From town upbringing, three marriages to Strictly
These amazing groundbreaking properties were the cutting edge smart homes of previous eras
GRIMSBY-BORN Kevin Clifton is appearing on ITV’s gruelling new show The Games which started at 9pm on Monday.
After undergoing weeks of intensive training, Kevin has joined 11 other familiar faces - including pop star Max George and newsreader Lucrezia Millarini - to battle it out in the athletics arena, the swimming pool, gymnasium and velodrome. Each episode features live coverage of each event and show footage of the celebrities’ training.
As the leaderboard is taking shape with each night, the series will culminate in an exhilarating final showdown in which one male champion and one female champion will be crowned.
What was Kevin’s early life like?
Born on October 13, 1982 in Waltham, North East Lincolnshire, Kevin attended East Ravendale Primary School and Caistor Grammar School. His family own the well-known Cliftons Dance Academy, which was set up over 30 years ago in Grimsby by parents Keith and Judy Clifton, four times British Latin American champions.
He began dancing from a young age, competing nationally and internationally as a child and eventually choosing Latin as his primary dance style. He was a Youth World Number 1 and four time British Latin Champion and won International Open titles in Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Belgium. At the time of his retirement from competitive dancing in 2007, he was ranked seventh in the world.
How did he become famous?
In 2010, Kevin made his musical theatre debut in Dirty Dancing The Musical in London’s West End. He has also appeared as a guest on Dancing with the Stars in the USA and So You Think You Can Dance in the Netherlands.
Nowadays, Kevin is most famous for being one of the professional dancers in the hit BBC1 show, Strictly Come
Dancing, appearing in seven series alongside his sister Joanne since he joined the show in 2013. His first dance partner was Susanna Reid, then Frankie Bridge, Kellie Bright, and Louise Redknapp. He won the glitterball in 2018 with his now girlfriend, Stacey Dooley. His last dance partner was Anneka Rice before he left the show in 2019.
What has he done since Strictly?
Kevin left Strictly Come Dancing to appear in his dream show, Strictly Ballroom but then the Covid pandemic hit.
He has appeared on stage with his own show Burn the Floor. He has also played Stacee Jaxx in the tour of Rock of Ages and has just starred as the Artilleryman in Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.
What is his relationship status?
Kevin Clifton is currently in a relationship with presenter, journalist and media personality Stacey Dooley, 35. The happy couple met when they were paired as dance partners in the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which they went on to win. They now live together in Stacey’s London home.
When they confirmed they were dating, Stacey’s ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott branded Kevin a “rat” and a “snake”, claiming that they had began their relationship while he was still dating Stacey.
In response to the allegations, Stacey wrote on Twitter: Anyone with any adult life experience knows there are two sides to every story. I haven’t got the time or energy to correct some of the utter nonsense I’ve read on here. Re Sam, I loved him v much and only wish him happiness and success going forward.”
How many times has he been married?
Prior to his relationship with Stacey, Kevin had been married three times. His first marriage was to his dance partner when he was 20 years old in 2002, and they divorced in 2005. He then married professional dancer Clare Craze, but the couple split in 2010. Their divorce was finalised in 2013.
In July 2015, Kevin married professional dancer Karen Hauer. In March 2018, he confirmed that the couple were no longer together romantically, although they continued to work alongside one another on Strictly Come Dancing.
What can we expect from Kevin in The Games?
Speaking on
Good Morning
Britain (GMB),
Kevin said: “People keep saying for each event, ‘Oh, you’re a dancer, you’re going to be good at this’, but for most of them, doing the 400 metres or doing the hurdles or something, I don’t know how much doing the paso doble translates to it.
“So everyone’s expecting big things but I’m finding that I’m better with a prop. So things like the kayak, slalom, the hammer. When it just comes down to raw speed and power, I’m not the best at it, but when I’ve got a prop or a partner or something I’m not so bad.
“I keep doing this thing that we call spotting in dancing where you keep turning and leaving your head in one place.
“So rather than swinging around with a hammer, I’m sort of giving you a flamboyant dance turn and I’m trying to get out of that habit.”
Speaking on Instagram, Kevin said: “I always make out
I’m not that competitive. I always give that answer that
I’m only competitive with myself and I just want to do the best but my girlfriend [Stacey Dooley] tells me that’s nonsense.”
Kevin goes on to say he is enjoying training. He said: “It’s wicked, because you are training with people who really know what they are doing in something I have no clue of what I am doing, it’s really cool.”
WHEN you buy or rent a new house how long does it take you to make changes, redecorate or even add in a few new features to make it feel like home? For some of the houses now looked after by the National Trust, the original owners turned their homes into a labour of love, and never stopped making changes. For others, their home was a place for creativity and to develop a passion for their art.
A Victorian smart home
Cragside in Northumberland was the home of Victorian inventor and engineer Lord William Armstrong and his wife Margaret.
While Lady Armstrong had a love for natural sciences, Lord Armstrong’s passion was innovation and engineering. He filled his Victorian house of wonders with the latest gadgets and inventions – features that we take for granted today but were at the very cutting edge of technology at the time.
Designed for modern living and efficiency, it became the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics. It was Britain’s original smart home.
The vast kitchen, with its double-height ceiling and windows for natural light and ventilation, was well-equipped with labour-saving gadgets including a water-powered rotating spit, a large range for cooking, and an early dishwasher – all for maximum productivity!
To save the staff endless journeys up and down the stairs, there was also a hand-operated ‘dumbwaiter’ for hoisting items up from the scullery and pantries, as well as a luggage lift that would rise nine metres from the basement to the bedrooms above. People flocked to Cragside from all over the world, drawn by tales of the ‘modern magician’s’ palace. The Armstrong’s guests could enjoy lavish luxuries, including central heating, electric lighting, hot and cold running water and even a sunken bath and fitted sinks.
People flocked to Cragside from all over the world, drawn by tales of the ‘modern
magician’s’ palace
In 1884, the Prince and Princess of Wales – the future monarchs, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra – stayed at Cragside during their tour of the North, intrigued to explore this home of a Geordie genius.
Lord Armstrong also worked with other passionate creators, including Joseph Swan, a fellow North East inventor, who developed the incandescent light bulb. It was Cragside that became the first home to shine with electric light. Four of Joseph Swan’s original incandescent light bulbs can still be seen in the library today.
The house was powered by Armstrong’s very own hydro-electricity system, which harnessed the power of water from manmade lakes across his estate. A phone line in the Butler’s Pantry was connected to the wonderfully named ‘Office of the Keeper of the Electric Light’ at the Power House – the butler simply rang the office when power was needed to light up the house! Go to nationaltrust.org. uk/cragside to plan a visit to this modern magician’s palace.
One man’s labour of love
Another creative spirit was Frank Green, who owned Treasurer’s House in York from 1897 to 1930.
Although many people lived in Treasurer’s House over the centuries, it was Frank Green who had the biggest impact on how it looks today.
He took a run-down collection of three different
properties and ‘re-created’ Treasurer’s House as a show home for his collection of furniture and art. Green was keen to demon
strate his knowledge of history and used a mix of different styles and time periods to create something truly unique.
Proud of his house and keen to show off his creation, he was a great host and welcomed the leading actors and actresses of the day as well as royal visitors, who still have rooms named after them.
Because the house was such a labour of love, Green wanted his creative masterpiece to stay as it was. When he gave the house to the National Trust in 1930, complete with all its contents, it was under the condition that the rooms would be kept exactly as he intended. There are metal studs in some rooms today that show where the furniture should be placed, and he even vowed to return to haunt the building if any changes were made!
Visit by guided tour to hear the stories of Frank Green’s life and see his personal collection up close. Plan your visit at nationaltrust. org. uk/ treasurershouse
A leading light of maritime safety
Souter Lighthouse, in South Tyneside, was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity.
Famous for its red and white stripes, it was a technological marvel when it opened in 1871, giving 117 years of service to shipping in the North East, until it was decommissioned in 1988.
Today, visitors can still climb the 76 steps to the top of the tower and take in amazing views. On ground level, there’s the Engine Room to discover – the beating heart of the busy lighthouse.
The National Trust still sounds the foghorn regularly to this day, and if you fancied a holiday break, there are two Lighthouse Keepers’ cottages that you could stay in.
Find out more at nationaltrust. org.uk/souter-lighthouse