It's been a milestone week for Stacey Dooley. The TV star, famed for her hard-hitting documentaries, has made her stage acting debut on the West End. Appearing in 2:22 A Ghost Story, Stacey marked her first performance on Saturday night with support from her daughter, Minnie, one, and partner, Kevin Clifton.
Taking to Instagram ahead of the show, Stacey, 37, gave fans a glimpse of the good luck card that her daughter had made for her – and it's so sweet! Calling Minnie the love of her life in the caption, the presenter was clearly touched by the gesture.
Stacey's partner, Strictly's Kevin Clifton has been equally supportive and penned a heartwarming message ahead of her West End debut. Sharing a photo of Stacey on stage, he captioned it: "Opening night for the most talented person I know. So proud of you baby."
On hand to watch Stacey's first performance, Kevin, 41, followed up with a second post on Saturday night. Filming his girlfriend as she took a bow alongside her fellow cast members, he wrote: "Beyond proud."
New to the world of theatre, on Monday Stacey told BBC Breakfast that she was "so excited" to play Jenny in 2:22 A Ghost Story. Noting that there is snobbery "surrounding that world" of theatre, the mum-of-one noted that the "play doesn't feel too highbrow" which is why she was attracted to it.
"I like it for that reason, actually. It's an experience and it's a ghost story... it's quite thought provoking," she said. "So I'm not too fussed about the critics and again, it's so subjective."
"All you can do is try your best, and go for it," Stacey continued. "Hopefully people enjoy it. It's a hugely successful play and I think they've always cast in quite unexpected ways. First it was Lily Allen's role, really, and she just smashed it and she was nominated for an Olivier Award. And ever since then, I think Jenny particularly hasn't been as traditionally cast as other plays."
Signed on for summer, Stacey will continue to perform at the Gielgud Theatre until 4 August. She appears alongside James Buckley, Donna Air and Joe McFadden.
Adorably, while Stacey was busy promoting the show on BBC Breakfast this week, her daughter Minnie was left in awe after spotting her mum on the TV! Posting a photo of the one-year-old pointing, Kevin captioned it: "Mummy on telly."
Kevin's fans loved the fun photo, with one posting: "Oh gosh that's so cute!! Look at little Minnie." Another said, "Oh that's simply gorgeous" and a third replied: "Look how grown up she is."