Stacey Dooley has shared her heartache after revealing she suffered an ectopic pregnancy with her partner, former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton.
The award-winning documentary maker, 38, is already mum to daughter Minnie, who the couple welcomed in January 2023. Dooley and Clifton first met when they were paired on Strictly in 2018 and have shared glimpses of family life together ever since.
While she tends to keep much of her private world out of the spotlight, Dooley spoke candidly about her ectopic pregnancy during the latest episode of her documentary series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, which has returned to streaming service U.
The programme saw her spend time with Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, one of Britain’s first legally recognised gay fathers and a vocal advocate for commercial surrogacy – which remains illegal in the UK.
As the pair discussed his views on wanting his children to be “beautiful”, Dooley confided that her own experience of trying to expand her family had been marked by heartbreak.
Speaking directly to camera, she revealed: “I have experienced what it is like to struggle to have a child. We obviously wanted to expand our family and last year I fell pregnant and it didn’t go brilliantly. It was ectopic.
“I am so sorry because this is so predictable – I am sat here crying on a bed. It was ectopic and it was really fing difficult. There was an internal rupture and there had to be emergency surgery. Of course, when you go through something like that you are forced to think of alternatives. S*** happens, and if you want a bigger family, you have to think how you’re going to do that.”
According to the NHS, an ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilised egg implants outside the womb, usually in a fallopian tube. It is not possible to save the pregnancy, with around one in 90 cases affected in the UK.
Dooley has previously spoken frankly about the realities of parenthood. Appearing on the Parenting Hell podcast earlier this year, she admitted her sex life with Clifton had taken a back seat since Minnie joined them in their bed, but added she was more than content cuddling up to her daughter while her partner often works away.
The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust provides dedicated information and support on ectopic pregnancy and you can visit their website on www.ectopic.org.uk.
