Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Clifton and Kevin Clifton say their marriage split has made them stronger.
The couple recently confirmed press speculation that they are no longer together.
Kevin revealed the news on Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show earlier last month, insisting they were still “the best of friends”.
And despite that personal split, they’ve said they will continue their professional dance relationship.
In a new interview ahead of their upcoming tour, the pair say that splitting has even made them stronger.
“This is about to be the best work that we have done, I feel that,” he said. “Being honest about everything has unlocked a real creativity. We are stronger than ever.”
Karen told HELLO Magazine: “It is about being true to yourself, and respecting one another.
“I respect and admire Kevin as a performer, a human being, and I’ve always looked up to him, that will never stop.”
She added: “We want to be positive in all of this.”
Whether or not the pair will be returning to Strictly Come Dancing this year has yet to be confirmed.
But if they do, Karen says she’s unsure if they will end up dancing together in the pro routines.
“You know, we don’t make that decision, it is down to the choreographers, they switch us all round,” she explained.
Chatting on ITV’s This Morning recently, Karen spoke of their decision to keep dancing together on their upcoming tour: “We’ve been dancing together for seven years, and that bond we created as friends first of all and professional dancers has been very strong.
“To let go of all of that because our private life hasn’t worked out the way that we wanted would have been quite hard.”
She added: “It is important to stay positive, mentally and physically it is very tough to do, but we’re both in a good place and we’re both really happy.
“It shows other people you can do things and you can still work with someone you love so much and you respect and you admire. Life does go on for us professionally.”
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One in the autumn.
