Stacey Dooley splits from her boyfriend months after winning Strictly Come Dancing
28 March 2019, 09:49 | Updated: 28 March 2019, 10:45
Stacey Dooley is said to have split from her boyfriend Sam Tucknott after a three-year relationship, just a few months after winning Strictly Come Dancing with Kevin Clifton.
According to The Sun, the investigative journalist had difficulties maintaining her romance with the personal trainer, and that their lives have gone in "different directions" after she won the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing in December.
An insider said: "Stacey confided in her friends that she was struggling to hold down her romance with Sam because her life has been a whirlwind after Strictly.
"She barely saw him during the month-long tour and has gone straight back into filming documentaries and has been travelling all over the world.
"They have a close circle of friends who hope things might yet work out but it’s not looking likely. It was very emotional and has been tough on them both."
The TV presenter recently hinted her relationship was in danger, as she described him "useless, annoying and messy around the house" while looking at their home-life in an interview.
She said on The Russell Howard Hour last month: "My boyfriend never goes [travelling] with me, he would be useless.
"I sort of get a bit annoyed when he’s not crying and sliding down the walls when I leave for these places. I’m like, 'Are you not scared I’m never going to return? Are you not scared you’re going to lose the love of your life?'
"And he’s like, 'You’ll be fine, you’ll be back in two weeks moaning about the state of the flat'. And he’s right, that’s exactly what I do!'"
She added: "I say to myself before I put the key in the door, 'Don’t kick off about the state of the flat because it doesn’t matter,' I go in, the first thing I say is, 'Have you been busy at work? Is that why the dishes are in the sink?'.
"I’m all passive aggressive! He will be like, 'don’t start' and that’s fair, I think, 'I can’t be ar**d, I’m too jet lagged, we’ll resume this tomorrow!'."
Who is Kevin Clifton?
Stacey has also denied rumours that she had been growing close to former dance partner Kevin Clifton, saying Sam wasn't at all jealous.
She told The Times: "The truth is Kevin and I are brilliant friends and he’ll be my pal for life, and Sam was probably the most supportive he has ever been.
"When I first got the gig he was just so made up. He was dancing round our living room. And every week he’d say, 'Listen to Kevin. Kevin knows best'. He was a dream."
She added: "Of course it’s weird. King Kev was my knight in shining armour, he sort of dragged me through the whole experience, it was such a dream."
Kevin and Stacey won the crown in December, making it the first time Kevin had won the competition after several years in the final.
He is still married to his estranged wife Karen Clifton, but they remain good friends and still appear on the show together.
What is the Strictly curse?
Appearing on Strictly requires a lot of time and effort, and often takes stars away from their families, and creating rifts between loved ones.
This has become known as the 'Strictly curse', and has led to several divorces and breakups over the years, while several celebrities have gone on to date or even marry their professional partners.
Among those who have fallen victim to the curse include Natasha Kaplinsky, Ben Cohen, Louise and Jamie Redknapp, and more recently Neil and Katya Jones.
The show has also formed new romances, such as Giovanni Pernice and Ashley Roberts, and Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell from the most recent series.
