Fans delighted as Strictly Come Dancing legend ‘confirms’ shock return-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro

One Strictly pro is back in the building (Picture: BBC)

One Strictly Come Dancing professional left the BBC show five years ago – but now he’s back.

Kevin Clifton joined Strictly in 2013 and remained part of the glittering madness until 2019, having lifted the coveted glitterball grophy with Stacey Dooley in series 16.

The dance partners went on to become real-life partners, now sharing young daughter Minnie after getting together shortly after their big win.

Kevin, 42, originally announced his departure from Strictly by thanking the show and his fellow pro dancers for ‘inspiring’ him, vowing to leave ‘on a high’ by moving on to a new chapter.

However, it seems he still has a lot of love for the programme that catapulted him to household fame, having returned to the studio this week.

Last night, the Grimsby-born choreographer took to his Instagram Story with a snap taken inside the studio.

Kevin Clifton famously won the show in 2018 with Stacey Dooley (Picture: BBC)

He posted a snap from inside the studio this week (Picture: Instagram)

He shared the pic to his socials without a caption, leaving Strictly fanatics to wonder what he was up to, having seemingly captured the shot from behind the judges’ table.

His post will send fans into a frenzy though, no doubt, as the Strictly viewership has long declared it’s ‘not the same’ now without him.

What was clear from the picture, though, was that the wheels are in full motion to prep the studio for Halloween Week, as creepy decorations were displayed around the place.

Tonight, the likes of Shayne Ward, Tasha Ghouri, Pete Wicks, Chris McCausland, and Jamie Borthwick will return for week 6, performing routines in Halloween attire for Strictly’s hotly anticipated spooky special.

Viewers will be treated to the first Argentine tango of the series from Sarah Hadland, while Sam Quek performs a Time Warp jive and Wynne Evans channels Jamiroquai for his salsa.

They’re all desperate to maintain their places in the competition, after Paul Merson was sent home last week – and maybe they’ll have the added pressure of a former Strictly legend watching in the audience?

Kevin certainly wouldn’t be the first former Strictly pro to return to the ballroom, as Oti Mabuse was spotted in the crowd last weekend having choreographed a professionals’ number.

Kevin left Strictly in 2019 (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

He and girlfriend Stacey are proud parents to Minie (Picture: Instagram)

Speaking previously about Strictly, Kevin, who reached four finals consecutively, spilled some glitzy beans about what goes on behind the cameras.

In 2021, the dancer hinted at a feud between one pairing, as it a pro ‘made it obvious’, apparently, that they didn’t like their celebrity partner.

He went on to say: ‘It doesn’t happen very often, [but] I have seen it.

‘I won’t name names, but I have seen it from someone who was not happy with their pairing and they made it quite obvious.’

Kevin, who was previously paired with the likes of Susanna Reid, Louis Redknapp, and Susan Calman, has always made it clear though that he would go back to Strictly if the time was right.

‘Would you go back, Kev?’, he was once asked in a Q&A by a fan.

Kevin’s other past Strictly partners include Frankie Bridge (Pictre: Mcpix/REX/Shutterstock)

His partnership with Susan Calman stole everyone’s hearts (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy)

He replied: ‘Yes, someone has been asking me this. 

‘I never say never to Strictly, I felt like I left at the right time.

‘I’ve done seven years on the show and there are a lot of things that I do, I don’t just do ballroom dancing.’

He added: ‘I’ve been doing a lot of theatre and stuff, and I like singing and acting and all these other things and so it was an ongoing conversation with Strictly that I would want to explore some other things.’

Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6:25pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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