Stacey Dooley has been told she is "running a dictatorship" in her household with Kevin Clifton. The documentary presenter met the professional dancer when they partnered up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Just four months after claiming the coveted Glitterball trophy, they confirmed their romance and in 2023 the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Minnie.
Home life revelations
Discussing their house arrangements on The Romesh Ranganathan Show, the 39-year-old revealed that Kevin has minimal input regarding decisions about their "old beautiful" Liverpool home.
"I love my house and I feel like I'm sort of really house proud, I love doing the house up and then it gets trashed and then I get the hump," she explained.
When she asked whether Romesh had any influence in his own household, he confirmed he occasionally did, while Stacey confessed Kevin didn't.
Dictatorship joke
"I don't want Kev to offer any opinions whatsoever, which is really healthy isn't it?," she laughed. The podcast presenter responded: "Listen, you're running a dictatorship," prompting her to acknowledge she held "all the power".
Keen to explore further, Romesh asked Stacey to demonstrate a scenario where he played Kevin presenting an idea for their home. She quipped: "I appreciate your input, I think it'll work in your wardrobe," before characterising the dynamic as "coercive".
"I am so highly strung about the house, that's actually not a nice trait but it is how it is," she continued.
Liverpool home and marriage views
Discussing their property further, she revealed on the podcast: "I live in Liverpool and I've basically got this beautiful old house and I really feel the business in it. You know when you go to view a house and you're like, 'There's not a world where I'd be able to afford this', but then you can, but only because I'm up North," she continued.
In 2023, she explained her hesitation towards marrying her partner stemmed from his previous divorces. Speaking to The Sun, she stated: "Marriage has never been massively important to me. Also, it's well documented that Kev's done it a couple of times before. So, you do have to bear that in mind, coming down the aisle like, 'Hello everyone, I know what you're all thinking.' It's just never been something I've dreamt about," she continued.
While marriage might not feature in their future plans, she has commended Kevin's abilities as a father, disclosing that welcoming their daughter has deepened her affection for him. "I don't want to sound too gushing or soppy, but I couldn't have done this without Kev. I couldn't have done this with anyone else," she spilled.
