Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Clifton said she and husband Kevin are “making it work” as she dismissed rumours about a rift in their relationship.
Reports suggested that the pair had fallen victim to the “Strictly curse” and had been “barely speaking” after Kevin began training with comedian Susan Calman for this year’s show.
Karen was previously partnered with TV chef Simon Rimmer, but the pair were eliminated earlier in the competition.
“This has been the best experience of my life” @SusanCalman @KeviClifton #Strictly pic.twitter.com/G2Hx3aX87A
— BBC Strictly✨ (@bbcstrictly) November 27, 2017
Speaking at the OK! Beauty Awards days after her husband and Calman were also booted from the show, she told the Sun newspaper: “We’re just a regular couple, we’ve been together for seven years and like any other relationship you have your ups and downs and nothing is ever perfect so you make it work.
“Everything is fine. It adds a little bit of spark to the relationship and it just means that we care about each other.
“We just need to keep pushing and relationships take work, it’s not as easy as you think, especially being in a job like Strictly.”
Kevin Clifton and Calman were unanimously voted off the BBC One contest on Sunday after the judges decided to save show frontrunners Alexandra Burke and partner Gorka Marquez.
It was an emotional moment for the pair, after weeks of close work together.
Calman, who is married to Lee Cormack, burst into tears of joy when her partner was announced at the beginning of the series and has since jokingly referred to him as her “Strictly boyfriend”.