Kevin Clifton quits Strictly Come Dancing after 7 years
He has won the Glitterball trophy once
Kevin Clifton has announced he has quit Strictly Come Dancing and will not participate in the 2020 series.
The 37-year-old announced the news on Instagram today, with the following statement:
"To the entire Strictly family. The past 7 years have been some of the most wonderful years of my life. I am grateful to the BBC and Strictly Come Dancing for giving me the opportunity to have been a part of something truly special.
"Since first being called ‘Kevin From Grimsby’ by Sir Bruce Forsyth in 2013 I have experienced the highs of 5 finals, winning a Guinness World record on It Takes Two, the Strictly Arena tour Glitterball and then the ultimate of winning the 2018 series with Stacey Dooley. After finishing last series with the Children In Need trophy and the Christmas Special I want to leave on a high and have therefore decided the time has come to move on and focus on other areas of my life and career.
"I want to thank all of the pros for inspiring me every day as well as all of my celebrity partners. The whole team behind the scenes have made always made the Strictly family what it is and the loveliest show to work for. Thank you to anyone who has ever voted for me and my partners. It means the world. And a special thank you to Jason Gilkison for always believing in me.
"To me Strictly always has been and always will be the best show on tv and has been an absolute dream and honour to be a part of.
"Pre 2013 I used to watch every week. Now I look forward to returning to being a fan and cheering on my friends who keep dancing."
Strictly shared their own statement to Kevin on Twitter, writing: "Kevin has been such a brilliant part of Strictly for the past seven years.
"From reaching the final an impressive five times, to lifting the Glitterball with Stacey Dooley in 2018, he has provided the show with some fantastic moments, through his exceptional talent as a dancer and choreographer.
"He will be hugely missed by fans and by his Strictly family. He will always be our Kevin from Grimsby."
Throughout his time on Strictly, Kevin partnered seven women in the main series and won once, with Stacey Dooley.
He was notorious for always coming second, having done so with four of his partners - Susanna Reid, Frankie Bridge, Kellie Bright and Louise Redknapp.
He placed seventh with Susan Calman and 14th with Anneka Rice.
It's currently unknown if there will be any new dancers on Strictly, as the professional line-up will be announced in due course.
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Helen Daly is the Associate Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
