Kevin Clifton has said he has not dated any of his Strictly Come Dancing partners.
The star’s celebrity dance partners on the BBC One show have included Susanna Reid, Louise Redknapp and Stacey Dooley and Kev insists he has always kept his eye on his work.
When asked if he had ever hooked up with one of his famous partners, he told The Sun: “No, never. You’re there to do a job and get on with the dancing. That’s what it’s about.”
Reports at the time they performed on Strictly together in 2016 claimed Kev’s close relationship with singer Louise – then wed to ex footballer Jamie – had caused trouble in both of their marriages.
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Kevin, 36, and his third wife – fellow Strictly pro Karen – split in 2018 but he says it was amicable and they never wanted show bosses to have to choose between them.
He said: “I’ve got so much respect for her. I just want her to be happy.”
Kev continued: “We’re in the same working environment. The idea that Strictly producers had to choose one or the other was never discussed – we were obviously happy to carry on working together.”
The Grimsby star recently opened up about his amicable relationship with Karen, telling Lorraine Kelly they are “really good friends”.
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He added: “We’ve still been dancing together, we did the tour together after that. And we worked together on Strictly.
“We do have a big respect for each other, and we just decided it didn’t have to be argumentative or difficult. We just thought, ‘Let’s stay friends, let’s work through it as calmly as possible and it’s all good’. We’re all fine.
“You’re always going to have love for each other and you just want to look out for each other.”
Kev – who will return to Strictly later this year – recently revealed he relishes testing his dancing skills against new, younger dance pros competing for a spot on the show.
Asked about the likes of Johannes Radebe, 31, and Graziano Di Prima, 24, the five-time finalist said he got on well with both dancers.
But he also made it clear he has no intention of taking a supporting role after reaching the top of the TV ratings winner.
Kev said: “They’re younger and fitter than me so I want to prove to myself that I can still do it to their level.”
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