Stacey Dooley has opened up about the challenging period she faced after welcoming daughter Minnie, when boyfriend Kevin Clifton left for a 10-month tour just two weeks later. The Strictly Come Dancing star also playfully criticised Kevin's lack of domestic skills during an appearance on SpareRoom's Home Again podcast.
Recalling the daunting experience
Dooley, who met Clifton on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 before they lifted the Glitterball trophy and confirmed their romance the following year, reflected on the difficult time in an interview on SpareRoom's Home Again podcast. She said: "When we [were] in Lewisham, that house in Brockley, I had the baby and then two weeks after, Kev went on a 10-month tour."
She added: "And I remember him leaving and me just being like, 'what the f....?' I mean, 'what on earth am I going to do?' He was on tour for 10 months, he was doing a role that he'd always dreamt of doing, it was called Strictly Ballroom, so it was right for him to do it."
Playful dig at domestic skills
The couple, who welcomed Minnie in 2023 three years after Clifton announced his departure from Strictly as a professional dancer, have had to navigate time apart due to their busy work schedules. Dooley took a playful swipe at Clifton's attitude to household chores, remarking: "He hates the idea of doing the big shop, he's like, 'oh, I can't bear it!'"
She continued: "And I'm like, 'Kev, I don't love it, but we're adults and we have to buy food so we can eat. So that's just the gig, that's what we have to do I'm afraid'. And he's huffing and puffing down every aisle!"
Clifton's guilt and new life in Merseyside
Clifton has previously spoken candidly about feeling "guilty" while touring with Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, discussing his conflicted feelings on BBC's Morning Live. Reflecting on becoming a first-time father, he confessed: "I'm obsessed, I'm absolutely obsessed. We've just completely fallen in love with her."
He added: "I do feel a little bit guilty sometimes when I'm on the road. Like I miss them as they're obviously at home, but I do get a night's sleep."
The couple have now firmly established themselves in Merseyside, and Dooley admits she has no longing to return to her London roots. Recording the podcast in the capital, she revealed: "I can't imagine being back down here now. Isn't that funny? Like, you never know what's going to happen."
She added: "And I'm actually quite sort of loose with plans, sort of long-term plans, but I can't imagine not living there at the moment, for the time being."
Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley airs on Monday October 19 from 8.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
