Curse of Strictly as Kevin and Karen split
THE curse of Strictly Come Dancing struck again yesterday when Kevin and Karen Clifton confirmed their marriage is over.
After months of speculation the dancers said it was curtains for their two-year union but vowed to remain together professionally and go on a British tour in May.
The split follows a tumultuous six months in which Venezuelan mambo champion Karen, 35, who has been married before, was alleged to have had a fling with 27-year-old Scottish accountant Stuart Wood.
Kevin, 35, was said to have grown extremely close to Louise Redknapp, 43, his celebrity partner on last year’s hit show who recently ended her 20-year marriage to ex-England footballer Jamie, 44.
Speaking to Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2, Kevin said: “We wanted to let everyone know that privately Karen and Kevin Clifton have revealed that their two-year marriage is over but they will still dance together. Right, Kevin with Louise Redknapp last year we’re not together any more but professionally we are stronger than ever. Dance has always been the thing... dance is how we came together and has been the glue that held us together for years now.
“We’re still the best of friends, we’ve got a lot of love and respect for each other. I still pretty much see Karen every day.”
Rumours of relationship trouble surfaced during last year’s series and peaked when, during December’s final, the couple noticeably kept their distance. Karen opted to dance with Pasha Kovalev, 38, instead of her husband during a performance by singer Ed Sheeran.
Yesterday a source close to Louise said: “There is absolutely nothing going on between Louise and Kevin.”