Stacey Dooley's dark past from shoplifting spree to drug dealer ex-boyfriend
Stacey Dooley has become a favourite on TV thanks to her warm charm and relatable down-to-earth nature - which many fans say stems from her working-class roots in Luton.
The 36-year-old was plucked from her job at the duty-free makeup counter at the town's airport to take part in an eyebrow-raising BBC Three documentary, Blood, Sweat and T-shirts, alongside other young fashion lovers. At age 20, she went on to star in her own hard-hitting documentary series and has fronted countless others in the following decade.
Her popularity with audiences saw her take home the Glitterball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, where she also found love with partner Kevin Clifton after ditching her ex-boyfriend, personal trainer Sam Tucknott, whom she had been with for five years. Stacey and Kevin live together in a gorgeous London Edwardian home but are soon to be relocating to Bath with their daughter Minnie.
The presenter returns tonight for a new series of DNA Family Secrets, where she helps families find answers through the power of a DNA test. Here, we take a look at her own tough upbringing and courage in the face of adversity...
Stacey was raised by her mum Diane (Sunday Mirror)In a recent interview, Dooley opened up on the shocking reality of her day-to-day as a teen, revealing how she was surrounded by drugs. "Drugs were always available when I was growing up in Luton. My pals did loads of gear. Everyone was taking pills and sniffing coke," she revealed.
Stacey Dooley pals' savage nickname for her due to Kevin's failed marriages
"Boys would take pills at school in their lunch break. I've witnessed people taking heroin. A boy I went out with was heavily involved with dealing coke. I remember going into his room one day and there were scales out and he was bagging it up. I've seen it all." Harrowingly, the mum-of-one also revealed she had lost a friend 'to smack before his 18th birthday.'
When Stacey was two, her mum Diane, also known as Di, relocated from Liverpool to Luton after separating from Stacey's father - an alcoholic whom Stacey never had a chance to reconcile with after he died in her early twenties. Diane told the Mirror: "There was never a bond between Stacey and her dad. The circumstances prevented it.
"When he tried to come back in her life in a more meaningful way when she was aged 13 it was too late for them to reconcile." In her book, Stacey Dooley: On the Front Line, Stacey wrote: "My father had his demons; our relationship was difficult and fractured. But I don't ever think: 'poor me', I just feel blessed that I had my mother. She was such a great mum".
Dianne worked hard to put food on the table and worked extra shifts to make sure Stacey didn't go without. She wrote: "She [Diane] used to work in pubs, clean houses, or do whatever she could. She even used to work on Christmas Day - and I'd go with her to the pub to help clean the ashtrays".
She found love on Strictly with partner Kevin (PA)
She describes her mum as her 'hero' (Sunday Mirror)But as she became older, Di became increasingly concerned about the area where she was raising her little girl. In 1995, an 18-year-old girl Leah Betts made headlines for being hospitalised after taking an ectasy pill at a party. She died after five days in intensive care. Di stuck Leah's picture on their fridge as a stark warning to Stacey to never get involved with drugs. "If you ever think about taking E, remember what happened to her," Stacey said her mum used to say.
She revealed that while she did go through a phase of shoplifting during her teens, drugs always scared her. "I haven't even smoked weed, nothing... the thought of being totally out of control and not being able to claw myself back is just not for me," she said.
The broadcaster, who left school at 16, rose to prominence at 20 when she took part in BBC Three's Blood, Sweat, and T-shirts, which uncovered awful conditions relating to the fast fashion industry. She continued to campaign against child labour and ended up landing her own series, Stacey Dooley Investigates, in 2009.
She even managed to shine a light on extremists when she returned to Luton to film My Hometown Fanatics in 2012. In the past, Stacey has credited her 'absolute hero' of a mum for her hard work ethic. "The thing I've taken most from [mum] is her work ethic," she said previously. "She's always worked really hard and now, I try to do the same. If I'm ever lucky enough to have children, I want them to look at me and think 'Mum goes to work, standard.'"
DNA Family Secrets airs tonight on BBC Two at 9pm.
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