Kevin Clifton shares concerns for his relationship with Stacey Dooley after deciding to collaborate.

Kevin Clifton has admitted he fears for his relationship with Stacey Dooley when they play a clashing married couple in the supernatural stage hit, 2:22 A Ghost Story.

The former Strictly pro, 42, is taking on his first non-musical play – and will be doing it alongside his girlfriend Stacey, 38, who made her acting debut in the West End production of the hit show last year.

Revealing his concerns as they prepare to take on the roles, Kevin explained: ‘We’re not a very argumentative couple – touch wood – we don’t argue a lot. 

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine. But also, Stace and me are very different in that Stace can very much go do her job, do it great, and then leave it at the door and come home.

‘Whereas I’m a bit obsessive and I have to live and breathe the character. I’ll probably bring the character home, which might get interesting. It could be the ending of us.’

Speaking on the latest episode of the All That Chat podcast, Kevin admitted they will face challenges on stage as well as at home.

Kevin Clifton has admitted he fears for his relationship with Stacey Dooley when they play a clashing married couple in the supernatural stage hit, 2:22 A Ghost Story

The former Strictly pro, 42, is taking on his first non-musical play – and will be doing it alongside his girlfriend Stacey, 38, who made her acting debut in the West End production of the hit show last year

‘When it’s your partner in front of you who knows everything about you and all your insecurities and then you start playing this character in front of them… it’s going to be weird.

‘I’m going to have to get over doing it in front of Stace, and she’s going to have to get over doing it in front of me.’

Stacey and Kevin met in 2018 when they were paired together on Strictly Come Dancing, going on to win the series and later confirming their relationship. They now live together in Nottingham with their two-year-old daughter, Minnie.

Kevin Clifton left BBC’s Strictly in 2020 after seven years on the show, and has since starred in stage hits such as Chicago and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

Reflecting on his decision to do 2:22, he said: ‘I’d wanted to do a play for ages. It’s not just about musical theatre for me. I don’t like being boxed in, and I feel like everyone sees me as a dancer, and then it was Strictly.’

Stacey’s casting for 2:22 came about through director Matt Dunster, a longtime friend of Kevin’s who used to live near the couple when they were based in London.

‘I went for coffee with him, and he was like, do you think Stace would ever want to try any acting? And I was like, I think she would, and I think she’d be very good at it.

‘She can’t sing at all… She’s a terrible, terrible singer. I love her to death, but terrible singer. But I said acting, she’d be really good.’

Revealing his concerns as they prepare to take on the roles, Kevin explained: ‘We’re not a very argumentative couple – touch wood – we don’t argue a lot’

Stacey and Kevin met in 2018 when they were paired together on Strictly Come Dancing, going on to win the series and later confirming their relationship. They now live together in Nottingham with their two-year-old daughter, Minnie

Stacey’s casting for 2:22 came about through director Matt Dunster, a longtime friend of Kevin’s who used to live near the couple when they were based in London

Stacey had to audition like anyone else – and impressed the team immediately. ‘Matt Dunster called me… I was on my way to Sheffield to do Jamie [the musical] and he went, ‘Mate, she was brilliant. The team are absolutely buzzing. She’s a complete natural. Who’d have thought I’d be working with Stace before I’m working with you?”

Watching her on stage for the first time, Kevin said he was blown away. ‘I was nervous going to see it because I just wanted it to go right for her. And I went to see her do it, and I was like, oh my god. She’s better than me. She’s amazing. She’s really good.’

When 2:22 was brought back, the couple pitched the idea of co-starring. ‘When I heard that they were going out on tour again, we presented the idea to them and said how about the two of us playing it because we both have a gap in the schedule. And they just said that that would be a great idea.’

Kevin and Stacey begin rehearsals next month, with the tour kicking off in Manchester in August. Their run will continue until the end of November.

They follow in the footsteps of a string of high-profile pairings who have taken on the roles in 2:22, including Lily Allen and Jake Wood, Cheryl Cole and Hugo Chegwin, Laura Whitmore and Matt Willis, and Giovanna Fletcher and Busted’s Tom Fletcher.