Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton’s past romances before finding love and joyous baby news

Strictly golden couple Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton have announced they are expecting their first baby, after they got together in 2019, having won the glitterball trophy in 2018. We've taken a look at their romantic lives before finding one another

Strictly fans were delighted when glitterball champions Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton announced on Friday that they are expecting their first child.

The loved-up couple met when they were paired up on the dancing show back in 2018, which journalist Stacey, 35, and professional dancer Kevin went on to win, and their romance went public in 2019.

The happy news was announced today by the pair on Instagram with Stacey sharing a picture of her baby bump and telling fans "Gaaaaaaang.....We are having a baby!"

As the pair prepare for their bundle of joy, we've taken a look down memory at their past romances.

Stacey Dooley announced she is having a baby with Kevin Clifton, on Instagram today

Stacey's love life appeared to be less turbulent than thrice-married Kevin, 36. She was in a five-year relationship with personal trainer Sam Tucknott, who was often spotted cheering Stacey on during her Strictly performances.

Months after Kevin and Stacey foxtrotted their way to victory in December 2018, Sam and the documentary maker ended their relationship.

In a bombshell interview, Sam branded Kevin a "slippery, slimy snake" and claimed to have discovered an "I love you" text from Kevin to Stacey just after their split.

Stacey and Kevin have been a couple since 2019

Addressing the media frenzy that followed, Stacey wrote on Twitter: "Anyone with any adult life experience knows there are 2 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," she added.

Shortly after Sam's tell-all interview, Kevin and Stacey confirmed their romance.

Stacey and Sam were together for five years

Image:

( Internet Unknown)

Stacey later said she didn't want to get "into a slanging match with Sam".

"I still really want what's best for him. I just… feel like I've grown a lot. I feel so much more mature than I was then. I want him to have a brilliant life," she told You magazine.

Kevin's first marriage was to amateur Latin world champion Anna Melnikova when he was just 20-years-old. The pair were dance partners from 2002 to 2006 and tied the knot in 2003.

However, Kevin claimed they split after he "fell out of love" with dancing when they were advised to stump up £10,000 to 'guarantee' a world champion title win.

"I just felt somewhere it had all gone wrong. My parents believed we could win without it, but I wanted to walk away from the whole thing," he once said.

"I fell out of love with it. My wife divorced me because it was her life. I fell into depression because everything I'd put my life into had burst apart."

In 2007, Kevin married trained ballet dancer Clare Craze, after they met at a London Salsa bar.

They both starred in dance show Burn The Floor in 2009, where he met Karen Hauer, who would go on to become the next Mrs Clifton, and joined Strictly in 2012.

Kevin and Clare split in 2010 and he said in an interview that he got with Karen in 2011.

"I was never particularly happy in my previous marriage," he said at the time.

"I wasn't myself - a lot of friends and family were telling me that. It was just a bit of a weird time. When I met Karen, I could get on with her on a completely different level."

Clare clearly didn't agree and posted on social media: "Everything in me wants to scream from the rooftops what the actual truth is."

Their divorce was finalised in 2013, with Kevin later confessing: "It didn’t work out."

Stacey and Kevin dancing together in 2018

Image:

( PA)

He added: "It was part of my rebellion and we drifted apart."

Kevin then got married to Karen in 2015 after getting down on one knee to propose on her birthday on stage during a performance on Burn the Floor. The pair got hitched in 2015.

However, the pro dancers divorced in March 2018 but continued to perform on Strictly together.

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