Footballer Andy Carroll has confirmed that Kevin Adams, a dance coach jailed in 2023 for sexually assaulting him, was the man who attacked him in 2021. Adams, 59, was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court after assaulting Carroll while the former England striker slept in his home.
Details of the assault
The incident occurred during Carroll's second spell with Newcastle United. In his autobiography, published last month, Carroll revealed that his ex-wife Billi Mucklow had suggested inviting Adams over to watch a boxing match and let him stay in their spare room.
Carroll said he woke up to find Adams trying to attack him under his bedsheets. He threw Adams out of the house, hit him 'as hard as he could' when Adams tried to re-enter, and then called the police before sobbing in his children's nanny's arms.
Adams' background and conviction
Adams appeared as a coach on BBC One's Fame Academy, which aired in 2002 and ran for two seasons. He also featured on Strictly Come Dancing's It Takes Two in 2021. Before his 20-month prison sentence, Adams ran a children's dance school, the Kevin Adams Academy, in Harlow, Essex, which appears to have ceased operating in 2022.
Carroll described the court process as 'humiliating and horrendous'. During the trial, Judge Mary Loram told Adams: "You spun a literally incredible tale in which you painted yourself as the victim. You've actually started to believe your own lies."
Carroll's statement
After learning that Adams' name was in publicly available court documents, Carroll confirmed his identity. "Now that Kevin Adams has been named in court documents as my abuser, I can confirm it," he said.
He added: "Hopefully now I can finally start to put this chapter behind me. I just ask that people don't constantly share pictures of my abuser alongside me. I don't want to keep seeing his face or being reminded of him every time this story is spoken about. I'm ready to move forward. This had a devastating impact on my life and loved ones."
Carroll, now a player-coach at National League South club Dagenham & Redbridge, debated with his current partner Lou Teasdale whether to include the attack in his autobiography, 'Owning It'. He added the story at 'the last minute' and hopes it will help other victims of sexual assault.
