After he finally broke his silence about Stacey Dooley, Kevin Clifton appeared to have a weight lifted off his shoulders as he mingled with fans.
The Strictly Come Dancing pro, 36, was all smiles as he stopped to sign autographs and pose for selfies with the crowds outside Southport Theatre.
Wearing a black sports jacket, a smart button-up shirt and jeans, Kev looked on top of the world after the first night of his new Burn the Floor show came to a close.
His chipper mood may be down to finally speaking about his rumoured girlfriend Stacey earlier this week.
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The duo were partnered together on last year's Strictly and are said to be in a relationship after the documentary maker split with her boyfriend Sam Tucknott at Christmas.
Kevin , who broke up with wife Karen Clifton last year, paid a glowing tribute to Stacey.
He said: "Thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I’m the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It’s a miracle."
Stacey's ex Sam claimed he'd seen a message from Kevin saying "I love you" as he and Stacey were clearing out the flat they lived in together following their split.
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But he says she told him nothing happened until after they'd broken up.
Stacey, who is working on a new documentary in Colorado, broke her silence on Monday as she tweeted there were "two sides to ever story".
She added: "Re Sam, I loved him v much and only wish him happiness and success going forward."
Stacey appeared to have confirmed the pair's romance on Friday by publicly reaching out to her former Strictly mentor.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted the presenter throw her support behind Kevin on the first night of his new dance tour.
As Kevin took to Instagram to share snaps of his Burn The Floor debut, an observant Stacey clicked the red love heart and 'favourited' multiple posts.
