Who is Stacey Dooley’s ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott?
SAM Tucknott was Stacey Dooley's boyfriend until they broke up in April 2019.
Since then the personal trainer has gone on to accuse his former girlfriend of having an affair with her dance partner Kevin, who she is now in a relationship with.
Who is Sam Tucknott?
Sam Tucknott, 31, is a personal trainer and fitness pro from Brighton.
He started out in his career as a semi-professional footballer.
At the age of 12 he joined Crystal Palace Academy and has also played for England and Wales in Fifa and Uefa tournaments.
When his contract was cut short at the age of 19 he trained as a fitness instructor.
This led him to launch his own business in 2012 - Pro-Fit personal training.
He dated journalist Stacey Dooley for five years, before their split in April 2019.
What has Sam Tucknott said about his split from Stacey?
The Sun exclusively revealed that a furious Sam Tucknott confronted Kevin Clifton over his relationship with Stacey Dooley.
Sam accused the stunned Strictly star of being a “rat” and a “snake” in a FaceTime video call after discovering he had been dating his ex.
He recalled: “He went white. I just stuck it on him, ‘You’re an absolute rat, how you conducted yourself. Just a slippery, slimy snake’. He didn’t say a word, he looked petrified, so shocked.”
Sam, 30, blames Kevin for his break-up with his sweetheart Stacey, who he says he was planning to propose to. He claims Kevin has since refused to meet face-to-face.
Sam added: “I have no respect for Kevin whatsoever. He comes out and says it’s all ‘strictly business’. He’s a full-on p***k. I’ve tried to meet him since to get closure but he won’t do it.
“Had it been one of the other dancers she got with, fair enough. But it stings that much more because of what he’s been like and how he’s renowned.
“He’s an absolute complete f***ing rat with no b******s or decency to hear me out. The fact he won’t have a man-to-man conversation with me says everything about the guy.
“He has gone from my best mate, wanting to know the ins and outs of what I am up to, then he can’t even go out of his way to reply. That’s come from guilt.”
Personal trainer Sam, 30, stormed: “The blame is with Kevin. He’s an absolute rat.’’
He revealed that he discovered their relationship when Stacey's phone flashed with a message from Kevin saying "I love you."
He revealed: “I was getting my stuff to leave. Stacey was in the loo.
“Her phone went and it was Kevin Clifton — ‘I love you’ with a red love heart.
“I grabbed the phone and confronted her. She said she’d tell me everything I needed to know.”
Sam says the couple rowed and left their Brighton flat separately.
Stacey, 32, then texted him at 8.33pm that day — April 1 — to explain she’d fallen for Kevin, 36, who she won the last series with.
She wrote: “Sam, I know you hate me at the moment.
“But you saw I didn’t start entertaining and texting him (Kevin) until I split up with you. I was not with you when we started it all.
“I did fall for him but when we were done. I will tell you anything you want to know.”
MORE ON STACEY DOOLEY
Who is Stacey Dooley?
Stacey Dooley, 31, is a TV journalist best known for her work on documentaries.
Her work usually involves travel and has taken her to Japan, Iraq and Canada.
Since 2011 she has presented her own show - Stacey Dooley Investigates.
She took part in the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing, eventually winning the entire programme with pro dancer Kevin Clifton.
Stacey has recently spoken about her split from Sam, in which she said she didn't want to get into a "slanging match" with her ex.
Talking to You magazine about Sam's comments on current partner Kevin, she said: "I was in America when that happened and I’d had no idea it was going to be all over the front pages.
"I just thought, 'I need to take a moment and not react.' I didn’t want to get into a slanging match. Because there was a time when I really loved Sam."
She continued: "I adored his family. And I still really want what’s best for him. I just… feel like I’ve grown a lot. I feel so much more mature than I was then. I want him to have a brilliant life."