Advertisement

Kevin Clifton reveals age was a factor in decision to leave 'Strictly'

Kevin Clifton
Kevin Clifton (Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)

Kevin Clifton has revealed that his age was one of the reasons he quit Strictly.

The dancer, 37, stunned fans of the BBC show earlier this month when he announced that he was leaving after seven years.

He later explained that he had been offered his “dream role” – the part of Scott Hastings in the tour of Strictly Ballroom The Musical - and could not say no.

Read more: Kevin Clifton regrets 'I love Glasgow' tattoo

But opening up further on his podcast, Clifton admitted age was a factor.

Explaining that he was always looking for new challenges, he said: “If I was 23 it would be different. I'd be looking at Strictly and thinking, ‘I can stay on this for the next ten or 15 years’, and I would have done because I loved it so much.

“But I think at 37-years-old I was thinking, ‘I'm going to turn 38’ on the next series of Strictly.

“If it's going to be similar season to something I’ve already done in some way… you know, I don't see myself doing this into my 40s and I’ve got so many other interests.

“I was thinking I’m going to have to leave at some point.”

Read more: Kevin Clifton suffers his earliest ever 'Strictly' exit

He added: “Me leaving gives younger dancers a chance to come through now. No-one is bigger than the show.”

Clifton has previously said quitting Strictly was “a scary thing” to do, as he had loved his time on the programme and had not reached a point where he wanted to walk away.

During an appearance on This Morning he said the Strictly Ballroom job had been his “life’s ambition” since he was a child.

He said the tagline for Strictly Ballroom was that “a life lived in fear is a life half lived” and he said he “took that to heart”.