Kevin Clifton makes 'incredibly unfair' discovery about family

22 June 2023 , 20:04

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Kevin was left sickened after the discovery (Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Strictly Come Dancing star Kevin Clifton has been left saddened after making a devastating discovery about a family ancestor on Who Do You Think You Are?

The 40-year-old dancer, who left Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, was left in shock and sickened at finding out a distant family relative was "abusive" and "violent".

Kevin discovered his great-great-great-grandfather John Russell was horribly abusive to his wife and had left his spouse with black eyes and beaten in one of his violent rages. The Strictly star also discovered his relatives had an "incredibly rare" public divorce with Mrs Russell accused of having an affair.

Kevin Clifton makes some shocking discoveries about his family tree in his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (SCU)

As documents detailed the fall out, Kevin learnt that his "villain" relative had "struck his wife" and "blackened her eyes".

After making the shocking discovery, Kevin was left visibly shocked as he said: "Grace was in a violent and abusive relationship. Everything was stacked against her. It’s so unbelievably unfair."

Stacey Dooley pals' savage nickname for her due to Kevin's failed marriages

He added: "My ancestor was a villain."

In another part of the episode as Kevin explored other familial roots he discovered the story of an incredible female relative called Matooski.

Stacey Dooley, and partner Kevin Clifton, won Strictly in 2018 and started their relationship soon after (Guy Levy/BBC)

Matooski was from the First Nations of Canada and Kevin sadly discovered they had been subjected to racism.

Kevin, who is in a relationship with former Strictly partner Stacey Dooley and who he shares daughter Minnie with, was left shocked at his relative's painful past.

Discovering his family had more global links than he thought, Kevin told the programme he thought the family tree would just bring up more history in his hometown of Grimsby.

After the discovery, Kevin said: "I said, ‘It’s either going to be just generations of ballroom dancers, or it’s going to be based in Grimsby and we’re going to be talking about the history of the fishing industry in Grimsby or something.

"That’s all I knew of myself really. So, for the episode to go where it ended up going was mind-blowing. I couldn’t believe it."

Kevin Clifton's episode of Who Do You Think You Are airs on June 22 at 9pm on BBC One.

Niamh Spence