Strictly star’s ex wife opens up about overdose following split: ‘It felt like all hope had gone’

Kevin Clifton's ex wife, Clare Craze, has spoken out about how her mental health suffered after the breakdown of her marriage, resulting in her attempting to take her own life.

Kevin Clifton, 36, is currently rumoured to be dating Stacey Dooley, after splitting from second wife and fellow Strictly Come Dancing star Karen Clifton. Kevin and first wife Clare split in 2010, after just three years of marriage.

Speaking to The Sun, Clare said, “Everyone was saying he had cheated on me with Karen.

“I spent the week begging him to meet up as I thought I could convince him to stay. I was shaking, in tears, and he got up and left.

“During that week I didn’t eat or sleep. My mother was so worried about me she took me to the doctor. It felt like all hope from my life had gone – it was overwhelming.

MORE: Strictly’s Stacey Dooley reveals her sadness as Kevin Clifton is replaced

“Afterwards, I went to a bar and took a load of anxiety pills with another large glass of wine.

“My memory gets hazy then but my father told me afterwards I was found near Waterloo Bridge by passers-by who called an ambulance. I woke up in hospital on a drip.”

The pair divorced in 2013 after Kevin joined the Strictly line-up full time. While it was reported that Clare had her suspicions over her husband’s relationship with fellow dancer Karen Hauer, who he went on to marry in 2015, Kevin maintains that the couple didn’t get together until 2011 , after he and Clare split.

Speaking about his marriage, he told the Mirror, “I was never particularly happy in my previous marriage.

MORE: Strictly Come Dancing’s Kevin Clifton reveals he made this major change following Karen split

“I wasn’t myself – a lot of friends and family were telling me that. It was just a bit of a weird time. When I met Karen, I could get on with her on a completely different level.”

Kevin has also spoken out about his personal struggles on new TV show Burn The Floor. 

“In the last couple of years I’ve seen massive upheaval in my personal life and it hasn’t always been easy.

“There have been a lot of things thrown at me. At times I’ve struggled. And the times I’ve struggled and I was in a bit of a rut I didn’t know what to do.

“It gets difficult and I’m not the best at dealing with it.”