Stacey Dooley has taken to Instagram to celebrate her mum's birthday – and it's clear the pair share the same joie de vivre! The Strictly winner shared a series of four black-and-white photo showing mother and daughter posing nose-to-nose, a huge smile across Stacey's face.
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"Happy birthday you maniac," the 33-year-old captioned her post. "Love you girl."
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Stacey has a very close relationship with her mum. Di raised Stacey as a single parent in Luton, and instilled in her daughter a drive to succeed. "I've always had a decent work ethic, probably because of my mother, when it was just her and me," Stacey previously revealed in an interview with the Guardian.
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"She just worked so hard. She'd get up at silly o'clock, clean her pal's house, then do her day job, then work in pubs at night."
Stacey shared a happy birthday tribute to her mum on Instagram
Stacey's biological father was not a part of her life – he had a drink problem, and left the family when Stacey was just two. He passed away when Stacey was in her 20s, before the pair had the chance to reconcile.
Diana previously spoke to the Mirror about Stacey's childhood, stating: "There was never a bond between Stacey and her dad. The circumstances prevented it.
Di raised Stacey as a single mum after her father left
"He was only living with her and me until she was two and a half. It wasn't until she was nine that she saw him again.
"He came back for the occasional wedding or family occasion. When he tried to come back in her life in a more meaningful way when she was aged 13 it was too late for them to reconcile."
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Speaking about his death, Di added: "She was sad because it was a lost opportunity."
The pair have an incredibly close relationship
Stacey had a happy childhood, however. Her mother later met her partner, Norman. Together, they welcomed a child together, Stacey's younger sister, and both girls acted as bridesmaids at the couple's wedding.
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