Kevin Clifton would ‘never say never’ to Strictly Come Dancing return

Clifton quit competition series after seven series in March

Kevin Clifton has revealed that he would “never say never” to returning to Strictly Come Dancing.

The professional dancer announced in March that he would be quitting Strictly after seven years on the show, but told The Guardian that, with coronavirus pushing his live work back indefinitely, the thought of returning was a lot more tempting.

“I can’t leave my sister high and dry, and go back on Strictly,” he said. “But I don’t know. Never say never.

“I’ve made that decision [to leave Strictly]. And it would feel weird if I suddenly went back again.”

During his time on the celebrity competition series, Clifton became one of the show’s most decorated contestants, reaching the final five times before eventually winning in 2018 with Stacey Dooley, who he is now in a relationship with.

While announcing his departure, he said: “The past seven 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.

“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,” he continued.

“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 will return in the autumn with a “slightly shorter” series than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, with BBC bosses announcing that they were doing “everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year”.