Kevin Clifton has said he almost quit Strictly Come Dancing due to struggles in his personal life.
The dancer – who is reportedly dating Strictly partner Stacey Dooley, 32, following his split from wife Karen Hauer, 37, last year – said: “I’ve really enjoyed Strictly. I think it’s a great show.
“But it’s no secret that the last two years has seen massive upheaval in my personal life.
“There have been times where I have struggled. There have been times that really haven’t been easy.
“I was thinking maybe I need to get out of all this and get away from all this. I’m not very good at coping with it.”
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He also opened up about quitting dance for good in 2007 – shortly before Strictly came along.
He said: “I felt like my dancing wasn’t going anywhere. So I gave it up. I didn’t know what to do with my life.”
Kevin, 36, won the glitterball trophy with Stacey in December – and paid tribute to her on stage on Friday night.
Speaking on the second night of his Burn the Floor dance tour, he said: “Thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I am the reigning champion of Strictly.”
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During the show, Kevin revealed he has looked up to performers like Robbie Williams and even belted out Robbie’s Let Me Entertain You.
He said: “My all-time hero is Robbie Williams. I would watch him and big rock stars like Freddie Mercury – I always wished that one day I would have the opportunity to do that myself. I wanted to entertain everyone in the same way.”
An audience member said: “He’s got a surprisingly good voice. I wouldn’t be surprised if he brought out an album.”
