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Stacey Dooley: Partner, Baby and Career Facts

Arthur Clarke Bennett • 2026-09-02 • Reviewed by Sofia Lindberg

Most people know Stacey Dooley as the relentlessly curious BBC documentary presenter who has criss-crossed the globe talking to everyone from factory workers in India to Ukrainian civilians training in the UK, but the search for her these days often leads to something more personal: her relationship with Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton, their baby daughter, and a tangle of tabloid-speculated questions about marriages, money and motherhood. This article separates the confirmed facts from the noise — using a date-stamped timeline and verified sources to give you a clear, balanced picture.

Born: 9 March 1987 ·
Birthplace: Luton, Bedfordshire, England ·
Age when first child born: 35 ·
Strictly Come Dancing: Winner, 2018, with Kevin Clifton ·
Known for: Documentary presenting for BBC

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact net worth — no audited figure exists (BBC Creative Diversity)
  • Second pregnancy — not publicly confirmed
  • Marriage to Kevin Clifton — not publicly confirmed
3Timeline signal
  • 2018: won Strictly with Kevin Clifton (Wikipedia)
  • 2019: relationship publicly confirmed (Wikipedia)
  • 2023: daughter born (Wikipedia)
4What’s next
  • Three new BBC documentaries announced for 2026 (BBC Media Centre)
  • Recent search interest in Lily Phillips documentary — verification ongoing (BBC Media Centre)

Seven key facts about Stacey Dooley, from birth to current career, show a clear pattern: a grounded, working-presenter arc that has stayed remarkably free of manufactured drama despite intense public curiosity.

Label Value
Born 9 March 1987
Birthplace Luton, Bedfordshire, England
Occupation Television presenter, journalist, media personality
Known for BBC documentaries and Strictly Come Dancing 2018 win
Partner Kevin Clifton
Children 1 daughter, born 2023
Net worth No verified public figure
Editor’s note

This article updates relationship, family and career facts as of early 2026. Tabloid claims about unconfirmed pregnancies, miscarriages or engagement are flagged clearly as unverified — not repeated as news.

Are Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton still together?

Yes. Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton have been in a relationship since early 2019, after they met as celebrity contestant and professional dance partner on the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing — which they won together (Wikipedia). They share one daughter, born in January 2023, and continue to live together in the UK. There is no public record of a separation.

How did Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton meet?

  • They met in September 2018 when Dooley was paired with Clifton for the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing (Wikipedia).
  • The pair won the glitterball trophy in December 2018.
  • They confirmed their relationship publicly in early 2019 on social media.

Are Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton married?

There is no public confirmation that the couple have married. While tabloids frequently refer to them as “engaged” or “husband and wife,” neither Dooley nor Clifton has officially announced a marriage. This remains an unconfirmed detail that fans often ask about but for which no verified source exists.

How many children does Kevin Clifton have?

Kevin Clifton has one child: a daughter born in January 2023 to him and Stacey Dooley (Wikipedia). He has no other children from his previous marriages.

Bottom line: Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton remain together as partners and parents to their daughter. For fans wondering about a wedding: there is no verified evidence of a marriage — the absence of confirmation is itself the answer.

The implication: their relationship remains stable despite public speculation about marriage.

How old was Stacey Dooley when she had her baby?

Stacey Dooley was 35 years old when she gave birth to her first child — a daughter with Kevin Clifton — in January 2023 (Wikipedia). The pregnancy was announced in August 2022 via an Instagram post by Dooley.

How many children does Stacey Dooley have?

Stacey Dooley has one child — a daughter born in January 2023. She has not publicly announced a second pregnancy.

Is Stacey Dooley expecting a second child?

As of early 2026, no second pregnancy has been confirmed by Dooley, Clifton, or any official representative. Online rumours and fan speculation circulate on social media but there is no attributable source.

Has Stacey Dooley lost a baby?

This is a sensitive question that has been asked in online searches. There is no public record, statement from Dooley, or credible media report confirming that she experienced a miscarriage or baby loss. Treat this as unconfirmed speculation — not a known event.

Why this matters

Parenthood at 35 places Dooley in a common age bracket for first-time mothers in the UK (average first birth age is 30.9 as of 2022, per ONS data). The intense interest in her reproductive timeline reflects a broader pattern: women in the public eye face disproportionate scrutiny over fertility decisions.

The pattern: Dooley’s reproductive choices are her own, and unanswered questions are best left unconfirmed.

Who was Kevin Clifton’s first wife?

Kevin Clifton has been married twice. His first wife was Clare Craze, a professional dancer. He later married Strictly Come Dancing professional Karen Hauer in 2015, and they separated in 2018 (Wikipedia). He has not remarried since.

How many wives has Kevin Clifton had?

  • First wife: Clare Craze (dancer).
  • Second wife: Karen Hauer (Strictly professional, married 2015 – separated 2018).
  • Total: two marriages.

Why did Karen and Kevin Clifton split up?

Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer announced their separation in 2018. Neither party gave a detailed public reason. In her own interviews, Hauer has described the divorce as difficult but has not attributed it to a single cause. Third-party speculation about the split — often linking Clifton’s dance partnership with Stacey Dooley — remains exactly that: speculation. Stick to the on-record fact: the marriage ended, and both have moved on.

What happened between Kevin Clifton and Louise Redknapp?

Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton were dance partners on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016. Media speculation about a romantic relationship between them became intense at the time, but no relationship was ever publicly confirmed by either party. As with the Clifton-Hauer split, the link is based on tabloid inference, not attributable statements.

Who was Karen Hauer’s first husband?

Karen Hauer’s first husband was Matthew Hauer, a dancer. They married in 2008 and divorced before she joined Strictly Come Dancing (Wikipedia). She married Kevin Clifton in 2015 as his second wife and her second marriage.

Bottom line: Kevin Clifton’s marriage history is publicly documented and straightforward: two marriages, no children from either previous relationship. The persistent speculation around his dancing partners remains unverified.

What this means: Clifton’s marriage history is clear, and speculation about his dance partners lacks evidence.

How wealthy is Stacey Dooley?

There is no official, audited net worth figure for Stacey Dooley. Celebrity wealth estimates vary wildly — from £500,000 to over £2 million — none backed by a verifiable financial disclosure. Any single number published online should be treated as an estimate, not a fact.

What is Stacey Dooley’s net worth?

Trustworthy sources of personal wealth data (Companies House, BBC salary disclosures, or her own public statements) do not exist for Dooley. Unlike some BBC talent whose earnings are published in the BBC’s annual report, Dooley’s income has not been itemised. The safest answer: there is no confirmed net worth figure.

How does Stacey Dooley earn money?

  • Television presenting (primarily BBC documentaries for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer).
  • Media appearances and panel shows.
  • Possible production and brand partnerships — none publicly detailed.
The catch

The absence of a verified net worth is itself a data point: Dooley is not a commercial brand-first personality. Her income is tied to BBC programme budgets, not self-promoted business ventures. Net worth queries from search engines often exceed what any credible source can answer.

The catch: the absence of a verified net worth is itself a meaningful data point.

What has happened to Stacey Dooley?

Stacey Dooley continues to work as a documentary presenter for the BBC. She has remained in the public eye both through new programme commissions and the ongoing personal curiosity about her family life. As of 2026, she has multiple projects in production.

What documentaries has Stacey Dooley presented?

  • Blood, Sweat and T‑Shirts (2007) — her first BBC Three documentary, following British fashion consumers to Indian garment factories (BBC Creative Diversity).
  • Stacey Dooley Investigates — a flagship series covering current affairs issues affecting young people globally (BBC Programme page).
  • Sex in Strange Places (2016) — visiting Turkey, Russia, Brazil and Syria (BBC Creative Diversity).
  • Stacey Dooley: Inside The Undertakers (2023) — exploring the work of funeral directors in Nottinghamshire (BBC News).
  • Stacey Dooley: Ready for War? — a one-off documentary about Ukrainian civilians training in the UK (BBC Media Centre).
  • Three new documentaries announced for 2026 on BBC Three and iPlayer (BBC Media Centre).

What is Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over?

Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over is a BBC documentary series in which Dooley stays overnight with families and individuals from different walks of life. It has been noted for its warm, non-judgmental approach to subjects such as polyamory, foster care and multi-generational households.

Why is Stacey Dooley connected to Lily Phillips?

Lily Phillips is an American model and internet personality. The exact connection between her and Stacey Dooley appears to stem from search interest in a possible documentary subject — but the documentary title, network and broadcast date have not been publicly confirmed from any official BBC source as of early 2026. This link remains unverified.

Bottom line: Stacey Dooley’s career is in active development, not decline. She continues to produce documentary content for the BBC with a consistent editorial focus on social issues. The Lily Phillips connection is a loose search trend — not a confirmed project.

The implication: her career is ongoing and productive, with no verified negative developments.

“Dooley’s trademark is her empathy. She doesn’t lecture the viewer — she takes you inside a story and lets you sit with the discomfort.”

— BBC programme page description, paraphrased from editorial synopses

“I try not to be too judgmental. I just think people are interesting — everyone has a story.”

— Stacey Dooley, interview with The Guardian (2019)

For the UK audience following Stacey Dooley, the takeaway is clear: the confirmed facts — her Luton upbringing, her BBC documentary career, her Strictly win and her family with Kevin Clifton — are well-documented and consistent. The unverified claims around net worth, marriage, miscarriages and a second child reflect tabloid appetite more than real news. The pattern: Dooley has built a career on substance, and the unanswered questions are mostly noise.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Stacey Dooley born?

Stacey Dooley was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England on 9 March 1987 (BBC Creative Diversity).

What does Stacey Dooley do for a living?

She is a television presenter, journalist and documentary maker, best known for BBC Three series such as Stacey Dooley Investigates and Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over (BBC Programme page).

Why is Stacey Dooley famous?

She came to prominence through BBC Three documentaries, starting with Blood, Sweat and T‑Shirts (2007), and later won the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 (BBC Creative Diversity).

When did Stacey Dooley win Strictly Come Dancing?

She won in December 2018, partnered with professional dancer Kevin Clifton (Wikipedia).

What is Stacey Dooley MBE?

She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to journalism and charitable work.

How old is Stacey Dooley?

Born 9 March 1987, she is 38 years old as of early 2026.



Arthur Clarke Bennett

About the author

Arthur Clarke Bennett

Arthur Clarke Bennett is a UK-based news and explainers writer for PolicyLine, covering politics, world affairs and lifestyle. He works to the newsroom’s sourcing and fact-checking standards, verifying key claims against primary and reputable secondary sources so that each article is accurate, clearly sourced and useful to readers.