Kevin Clifton has praised Strictly partner Stacey Dooley amid ongoing romance rumours between the pair.
Kevin and Stacey are said to have grown close after they danced their way to victory on the Strictly Come Dancing final, with her ex Sam claiming they had become romantically involved.
Performing at his dance show Burn The Floor in Southport on Thursday night, Kevin spoke out about his personal struggles.
‘‘In the last couple of years I’ve seen massive upheaval in my personal life and it hasn’t always been easy,’ Kevin said.
‘There have been a lot of things thrown at me. At times I’ve struggled. And the times I’ve struggled and I was in a bit of a rut I didn’t know what to do.
‘It gets difficult and I’m not the best at dealing with it.
‘But at that point Burn The Floor stepped in again and the producers gave me a call and said, “Why don’t you come home.” So it felt right and I came home.
‘And thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I’m the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It’s a miracle.’
Kevin split from wife Karen Clifton in March last year.
His first marriage was in 2003 to Latin dancer Anna Melnikova, and tied the knot in 2007 to Clare Craze before separating three years later.
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