Stacey Dooley has bravely opened up about a hidden chapter of her life, breaking down in tears as she revealed she suffered an ectopic pregnancy with husband Kevin Clifton.
The 38-year-old documentary maker, who is already a proud mum to their daughter Minnie, spoke candidly about the devastating experience on her series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over. While staying with Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, Britain’s first legally recognised gay father, Stacey reflected on her own struggles to expand her family.
Speaking directly to the camera, she confessed: “I have experienced what it is like to struggle to have a child. We obviously wanted to expand our family and last year I fell pregnant, but it didn’t go brilliantly. It was ectopic… I’m so sorry, this is so predictable, I’m sat here crying on a bed. It was ectopic and it was really f***ing difficult.”
She explained that the pregnancy ruptured internally, forcing her into emergency surgery. “Of course, when you go through something like that you’re forced to think of alternatives. S*** happens and if you want a bigger family, you have to think about how you’re going to do that.”
According to NHS data, around 1 in 90 pregnancies in the UK are ectopic, and such pregnancies cannot be saved.
Stacey and Kevin, who met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, welcomed daughter Minnie in January 2023. The couple have chosen to keep their little girl largely out of the spotlight, but Stacey often shares honest glimpses into their family life. Earlier this year, she admitted on the Parenting Hell podcast that intimacy has taken a backseat since Minnie sleeps in their bed. “We need to start remembering how to have sex,” she joked, adding that she was perfectly content cuddling their daughter while Kevin travels for work.
Despite the heartbreak, Stacey’s candour has once again struck a chord with viewers, showing her willingness to share even the most painful moments of her journey into motherhood.
