They welcomed their first child earlier this year. But despite being blissfully happy in her baby bubble, insiders say that Stacey Dooley, is not in a rush to marry long-time partner Kevin Clifton.
The pair – who began dating shortly after winning Strictly Come Dancing together in 2018 – have gone from strength-to-strength over the past few years, moving in together during lockdown and becoming parents to baby girl Minnie in January.
And a source now says, “Stacey and Kevin are in a great place, and she thinks the stress of a wedding wouldn’t help them right now. She’s not exactly desperate to be Mrs Clifton number four either.
“Stacey is quite laid back and as long as they agree that they’re fully there for one another, a piece of paper isn’t going to change anything else. They’ll have lots of time to celebrate things like birthdays and anniversaries, so Stacey doesn’t feel as though she’s depriving herself of anything. Knowing that he’s walked three other women down the aisle is quite an overwhelming feeling – and she’s joked about how he doesn’t really need to do it all over again.”
Television presenter and investigative journalist Stacey, 36, and professional dancer Kevin, 40, have been officially together since 2019, going public seven months after lifting the Glitterball trophy on Strictly.
Prior to dating Kevin, Stacey was in a relationship with personal trainer Sam Tucknott for five years, who branded Kevin a “full-on p***k” when his ex’s new relationship went public. Stacey meanwhile has vehemently denied “entertaining” Kevin while still with Sam.
Kevin’s first marriage lasted for two years to world Latin American dance champion Anna Melnikova, and he was with second wife, trained dancer Claire Craze, for six years until 2013. Then, in July 2015, he wed fellow Strictly star Karen Hauer, but they were “no longer romantically together” come March 2018.
And while Stacey’s fans may feel sad that she might not walk down the aisle, insiders say the TV star is not fazed.
“Stacey feels really grateful for everything she has and is happily going with the flow of life,” a source says.
“Fans might see this is a U-turn but she’s a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and she thinks the fact they found each other and fell in love is all the confirmation they need to stay true to one another in a committed relationship. She feels that they’ve both handled their past relationships in a very adult manner and wanting a fairy-tale wedding just seems a bit silly to her – so it’s off the cards for now.”
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