Kevin Clifton

Early life

Clifton started dancing ballroom and Latin as a child in his home town of Waltham, taught by his parents, former World Champions Keith and Judy Clifton. He competed nationally and internationally as a child initially partnering his sister Joanne. Later, when they both chose to move on to different partners he chose Latin as his primary dance style so as not to directly compete against his sister. He was a Youth World Number 1 and four time British Latin Champion and won International Open titles in Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Belgium. At the time of his retirement from competitive dancing in 2007, he was ranked 7th in the world.

Career

In 2010 Clifton made his musical theatre debut in Dirty Dancing The Musical at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End, where he partnered BBC1′s So You Think You Can Dance winner, Charlie Bruce. From January 2008 to June 2013, Clifton and his wife Karen Hauer were principal dancers of the Burn The Floor Dance Company, performing in the show’s record breaking Broadway run as well as starring at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End. He also performed with the show in Japan, Australia, South Africa and the United States as well as making guest appearances on Dancing with the Stars in the United States and So You Think You Can Dance in the Netherlands. They rejoined Burn The Floor as principal dancers for a short tour of Australia and Japan in Spring 2014.

He appeared on Series 5 of Hacker Time.

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2013, Clifton appeared on series 11 of Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with Susanna Reid. He had previously auditioned for the show with his partner Karen Hauer but they had only needed a female dancer at the time, so he was instead employed as a choreographer for the show in 2012. In the 2013 Blackpool performance of the show he was joined in the opening dance by his family. On the same show, Reid and Clifton scored 39/40 for their Paso Doble, putting them at the top of the leaderboard. He won the 2013 Strictly Come Dancing Pro Challenge becoming the Guinness World Records holder for most Drunken Sailors in 30 seconds The couple's popularity ensured they reached the final, on 21 December, where they finished as runners up with Natalie Gumede behind model Abbey Clancy.

In 2014's series 12 of Strictly Come Dancing Clifton was paired with popstar Frankie Bridge. They were declared the runners-up with Simon Webbe, beaten by Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev. In 2015, Clifton, recently married to co-professional dancer Karen Hauer, returned for the thirteenth series of the show and was partnered up with EastEnders actress Kellie Bright. Bright and Clifton scored a perfect 40 for their Tango and Showdance and eventually finished as joint runners up with Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice.

Clifton has also taken part in the 'Strictly live tour'. For the 2014 tour he continued his partnership with, Series 11 partner, Susanna Reid. He was due to dance with Frankie Bridge again for the 2015 tour however she had to pull out, due to her pregnancy, and he instead danced with, series 6 contestant, Rachel Stevens. Clifton and Bridge were however, reunited for the 2016 tour.

In 2016 Clifton again took part Strictly Come Dancing where he partnered singer and media personality Louise Redknapp, on 17 December 2016 Clifton became the first professional dancer in the shows history to compete in four consecutive finals, he was also the only professional dancer not to be in the dance-off, for the fourth time Clifton finished as the series runner-up with Redknapp after losing out in the final result to Ore Oduba and his sister Joanne.

For series 15, in 2017, Clifton was partnered with Scottish comedian Susan Calman. Calman expressed her great delight at the partnering with Clifton, of whom she is a fan.

Series 11; Celebrity partner: Susanna Reid; Average: 33.8; placed second

Series 12; Celebrity partner: Frankie Bridge; Average: 35.1; placed second

Series 13; Celebrity partner: Kellie Bright; Average: 34.1; placed second

Series 14; Celebrity partner: Louise Redknapp; Average: 35.9; placed second

Personal life

Clifton grew up in the small North East Lincolnshire town of Waltham attending the East Ravendale Primary school where he was notable for his Michael Jackson impressions. He later attended Caistor Grammar School doing well academically before choosing to pursue his dance career rather than attend sixth form. He is married to fellow professional dancer Karen Hauer, having proposed to her on stage at a performance of Burn the Floor on her birthday. They wed on 11 July 2015. He was previously married to fellow professional dancer Clare Craze, splitting up in 2010 and with their divorce being finalised in 2013.

Philanthropy

As well as taking part in various charity campaigns and visits in his role as a Strictly professional, Kevin is also a patron of the Wheelchair DanceSport Association and the 2014 Dance Proms