Professional dancer Joanne Clifton dazzled audiences when she was crowned champion of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2016.
Strutting her stuff alongside presenter Ore Oduba, the star certainly left her mark in the competition as she gave a spectacular performance every week.
However, after three years of entertaining audiences on the popular weekend show, it was announced in June 2017 that Joanne will no longer be part of Strictly Come Dancing, due to wanting to progress in her musical theatre career.
Since leaving the show, the dancing star has been booked and busy but has also been faced with a heart-breaking diagnosis that changed the course of her career.
Daily Star has taken a detailed look at Joanne’s life after her stint on Strictly.
Famous brother
(Image: Getty Images)
Believe it or not but dancing certainly runs in Joanne’s family, as her brother Kevin Clifton is also a professional dancer.
In 2013, Kevin joined the cast of Strictly Coming Dancing and was partnered with Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid.
In December 2018, Kevin went on to win the sixteenth series of Strictly with his celebrity partner and now girlfriend, Stacey Dooley.
In addition to this, he also appeared in every year’s final from when he joined the show in 2013, with the exception of 2017 and 2019.
However, in March 2020 the dancing pro shocked fans when he announced that he was leaving the programme citing that he wanted to focus on “other areas of his career.”
Since then, Kevin has taken on presenting roles and is currently starring as Stacee Jaxx in the musical Rock Of Ages.
The star also hosts his very own podcast called The Kevin Clifton Show where he speaks with special guests and discusses his own experiences in the entertainment industry.
Raunchy Rocky Horror role
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
In 2019, former Strictly star Joanne took on the iconic role of Janet in the touring production of the Rocky Horror Show.
Though she admitted to being baffled by the raunchy cult musical at the time, the star was happy to get stuck into something completely different even though she had never seen the film or stage production prior.
Speaking frankly about the raunchy scenes in the production, the dancer told Irish News: “When I got the audition, I watched YouTube videos and stuff.
“In the audition, I had to do the bedroom scene [when Janet is seduced by pan-sexual cross-dressing scientist Frank-N-Furter] on my own on a chair in front of four or five people.
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
In certain scenes, Joanne can be seen wearing only her underwear while on stage.
It was the most fun thing I’ve ever ever done!”
Joanne also spoke openly about the die-hard Rocky Horror fans who sometimes correct her on her mistakes.
She added: “A fan even told me off for laughing ‘there’s a line just before Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, where Rocky [Callum Evans] says, I’ve been hiding from my creator and his minion’ and someone in the audience had managed to smuggle in an inflatable Minion.”
Devastating arthritis diagnosis
(Image: Instagram)
Despite being booked and busy at the time, Joanne was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2015, following the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour.
The agonising condition which causes joints to become painful and stiff has often left the star in gut-wrenching pain and unable to “walk down stairs”.
Joanne said she first knew something was wrong on the Strictly and woke up to find one knee was “so swollen and so stiff”.
Talking candidly to The Daily Mail in October 2021, Joanne shared: “The first time they told me, whether it’s osteo or rheumatoid, you just hear ‘ arthritis ‘ and I thought, ‘Oh my god I’m really old’.
“But that’s the message I want to get across. It does affect any age. There was a two-year-old who was diagnosed with it, it’s not just for old people.”
(Image: Getty Images)
She added: “Touch wood, I’m not in too much pain for now. When I start touring again with Addams Family, if the stage sometimes isn’t flat, those are the shows when it’s going to hurt and my water bottle will come in very handy.
Despite her diagnosis, Joanne is still determined to keep working in the entertainment industry but has stepped back from dancing competitions to focus on her West End production roles.
She also admitted that she can no longer get up from the floor as quickly as she previously could and would require help.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
