Strictly Come Dancing winner Stacey Dooley, 32, opened up on life with her single mother Dianne, who she says worked three jobs to keep a roof over their heads. Opening up to Cosmopolitan magazine this month, she said: “From the start, it was just mum and I for a while and then my sister and stepdad came along. Everything [mum’s] done, she’s done for me and her family. Things were tricky,” she added. “She was working three jobs at a time; cleaning people’s houses, working in pubs and shops.”
Stacey went on to insist she was a rebellious teenager after leaving school aged 15.
“I used to go out robbing and drinking,” she divulged. “And my friends were in and out of prison.”
The BBC documentary maker added: “I have vivid memories of going to people’s houses and there being drugs everywhere.”
Stacey added she also remembers being surrounded by people who did drugs, but said it “never appealed” to her.
Despite her rebellious ways, Stacey landed herself a job with the BBC aged 19 fronting Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts.
She has since gone on to travel the world to front some of the channel’s most hard-hitting documentaries.
Stacey’s candid interview comes amid claims she has been having a romance with her ex dance partner Kevin, 36.
The presenter’s ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott, 30, told the Mail On Sunday he had seen a text from Kevin on Stacey’s phone which he believes confirmed their alleged relationship.
He said Stacey told him she had fallen for Kevin but was not “entertaining” him until after until they had broken up.
The following day, Stacey took to Twitter to address the “utter nonsense”.
In view of her 282,000 followers: “Anyone with any adult life experience knows there are 2 sides to every story.
“I haven’t got the time or energy to correct some of the utter nonsense I’ve read on here.
“Re Sam, I loved him v much and only wish him happiness and success going forward.”(sic)
Last week, Stacey supported Kevin at his Burn The Floor show.
She took to Instagram to share a backstage snap of the pair together in view of her 730,000 followers.
The duo were reportedly pictured leaving a Premier Inn hotel at different times the next morning.
