He's the boy next door that has taken five of his Strictly Come Dancing contestants to the final, but for Kevin Clifton, finding love hasn't been such an easy task. The 36-year-old professional dancer, who has most recently been linked with his fellow 2018 champion Stacey Dooley, has previously been to connected to his other celebrity partners, including Louise Redknapp and Susanna Reid. The star has a history of falling in love quickly, having been married three times previously. Here's everything we know about Kevin's marriage history:
First Wife - Anna Melnikova
Kevin has always been one for love from a young age, first getting married in 2003 when he was just 20 years old. Some reports have suggested that Kevin's first wife was Anna Melnikova, his professional Latin dance partner between 2002 and 2006, although this has never been confirmed. Kevin has previously spoken out about this time in his life, revealing that his wife left him after three years when he "turned away" from professional dancing. "We got to a stage where we were at the top of our game but we hadn't won a world championship," he said. "We were approached and told that if we paid the right people we would be guaranteed the title but it would cost more than £10,000 in all and I just felt somewhere it had all gone wrong. My parents believed we could win without it, but I wanted to walk away from the whole thing. My wife divorced me because it was her life."
© Photo: Getty ImagesKevin Clifton announced his separation from Karen in 2018
Second wife - Clare Craze
It didn't take long for Kevin to fall in love again. He met fellow dancer Clare Craze on a night out in a salsa bar, tying the knot in 2007 at the age of 24. The glamorous Claire had studied ballet from the age of two and the pair performed together on the international tour of dance show Burn the Floor around the world. But by 2010, the couple had "drifted apart" and separated, with Kevin referring to this stage of his life as his "rebellion," where he dyed black hair and wore black painted nails.
MORE: Stacey Dooley addresses ex-boyfriend's candid interview following their shock split
© Photo: Getty ImagesKevin pictured with Claire (far right)
Third wife - Karen Hauer
While working on Burn the Floor in 2011, Kevin met Karen Hauer, a Venezuelan dancer. Finalising his divorce from Clare in 2013, Karen and Kevin dated while Karen joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, with Kevin joining a year later in 2013. Their wedding was a star-studded affair that appeared on the cover of HELLO! It was an "absolutely magical" day and the couple were accompanied by Strictly pros Janette Manrara, Aljaz Skorjanez and Brendan Cole.
READ: WATCH Kevin Clifton ask the Duchess of Cornwall to be his partner on Strictly
© Photo: Getty ImagesKevin and Karen married in 2015
The pair danced together in pro dances on the show for years, and when they split they decided not to change things. "Privately we are not together anymore but professionally we are stronger than ever before," said Kevin, who toured with Karen months after their split. "Dance is how we came together and is what glues together. We're still the best of friends and we still have a lot of love and respect for each other." Karen still uses the Clifton surname professionally.
