Stacey Dooley Defends Liverpool Move and Shares Strictly Mishap

British broadcaster and documentary filmmaker Stacey Dooley has discussed her family's move from London to Merseyside, the concerns some friends raised about her career, and an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction during the Strictly Come Dancing live tour. Dooley, 39, relocated to the Liverpool area with professional dancer Kevin Clifton and their daughter, Minnie, in 2023, describing herself as happy with the decision while acknowledging that her long-term plans remain flexible.

In an interview published by The Guardian on October 10, 2026, Dooley also recalled how her skirt fell during a live performance at London's O2 arena, leaving her exposed in borrowed stage underwear. The broadcaster, who won Strictly Come Dancing with Clifton in 2018, said the incident remained her most embarrassing moment from her time on the show.

According to the Daily Star's October 12 report, Dooley also experienced a wardrobe mishap during the competition final when her Paso Doble routine revealed her beige underwear. She subsequently joked on X about winning the competition and exposing her underwear in the same evening.

Dooley and Clifton began their relationship in 2019 after being partnered on the BBC dance competition. They welcomed their daughter, Minnie, four years later and subsequently established their family home in the Liverpool area.

Speaking to The Guardian's Saturday Magazine about the tour incident, Dooley described the unexpected moment in detail.

"When I was doing the Strictly Live tour at the O2, my skirt fell down."

She explained that the mishap left her standing in the arena wearing underwear that had been borrowed for the performance.

"So I am stood in the middle of the O2 in my knickers – and they weren't even my knickers, they were big borrowed stage briefs."

Her relationship with Clifton also featured in the interview. Dooley identified their first kiss in 2019 as the best kiss of her life and described love as unconditional and unwavering.

Dooley's decision to leave London attracted questions from friends who wondered whether the move would limit her professional opportunities. In interviews with the Home Again Podcast, reported by the Liverpool Echo and the Mirror on October 12, she said the purchase was driven largely by her enthusiasm for a particular house rather than an extensive relocation strategy.

Explaining how quickly the decision came together, Dooley said:

"It's not like it was a very sort of sensible, thought-through plan. It was more like, 'I want this house. Let's do it'. And Kev's such a good sport cos everyone's like, 'You're moving from London to Liverpool?'"

She said friends questioned how long she had considered leaving the capital and whether Clifton supported the decision. Dooley described her partner as relaxed about the possibility of moving elsewhere, including to Scotland's Isle of Skye.

She recalled the conversations about the relocation:

"I was like, 'Yeah'. They were like, 'How long have you thought about this?' I was like, '(I) decided last week'.

They were like, 'And Kev's chill with that?' I was like, 'You know, Kev's pretty relaxed.'"

Dooley also used the hypothetical possibility of another move to illustrate Clifton's flexible attitude toward their living arrangements.

"Like, if I say, 'Oh, we're going to'...If I said to Kev tomorrow, 'We're moving to the Isle of Skye', I think he would actually just move to the Isle of Skye."

Some friends questioned whether leaving London would affect her ability to secure future work. Dooley said she believed that concern reflected an outdated view of where opportunities in television and documentary production were concentrated.

"I do think sometimes as well, it's like a sudden thing. There's like an element of snobbery. It's like, 'Oh, you're leaving London.' 'Like, you're never going to work again', or you know, 'All the opportunities are down here'.

I don't really think that's so true anymore, especially being so close to Manchester. You know what I mean?"

According to the Liverpool Echo, the move also brought the family closer to Dooley's mother, Di, and to the area where her family has roots. Dooley previously lived in Lewisham, southeast London, and has said she feels calm and happy in her new surroundings.

Although she remains open to changes in the future, Dooley said returning to London was difficult to imagine at present.

"I can't imagine being back down here now. Isn't that funny? Like, you never know what's going to happen."

She added that she generally avoids making rigid long-term plans but currently sees Merseyside as home.

"And I'm actually quite sort of loose with plans, sort of long-term plans, but I can't imagine not living there at the moment, for the time being."

Dooley continues to work as a television presenter and investigative documentary filmmaker. Her credits include Stacey Dooley Investigates, Ready for War?, Inside the Undertakers, and Meet the Shoplifters, while her family life with Clifton and their daughter remains based in Merseyside.