Kevin Clifton’s second wife says she overdosed when he ended their marriage
21 April 2019, 10:28
The Strictly star’s former wife Clare Craze says she turned to anxiety pills and alcohol following the split
Kevin Clifton’s ex wife has revealed she took an overdose after the Strictly star ended their marriage.
Clare Craze, the professional dancer’s second wife, said the breakdown of their relationship left her “shaking” and “in tears” after he refused to reconcile.
The 39-year-old told The Sun: "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.
"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."
Clare, 39, admitted to taking the overdose days after Kevin told her their marriage was over.
She also said that in the weeks leading up to the split she had noticed him “behaving very, very strangely” at a private party with fellow dancer Karen Hauer.
The two were spotted “rubbing up against each other” at an after-party that marked the end of West End dance show Burn The Floor – a role which Kevin has now reprised.
But Clare said that although they “looked like partners” it never dawned on her that her husband was flirting with Karen in front of her.
In the wake of the split she revealed that “everyone told me that he had cheated on me with Karen”.
She said: “I had been having hypnotherapy to deal with the pain and anxiety I was getting from seeing my husband dance with other women.
“When I watched him dancing, it always looked so sensual and romantic. I couldn’t get it out of my head, thinking I was watching him cheat on me with his dance partners.
“So when I saw him being tactile with Karen I just dismissed it. Then at 6am he told me to go, and he eventually got in at about 10am and went straight to bed.”
The two separated shortly after and Kevin went onto marry fellow Strictly Come Dancing star Karen in 2015, before they later split in March 2018.
He is now dating TV presenter Stacey Dooley, 32.
