Kevin Clifton ‘proud’ to have new function fashions after discovering household historical past
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evin Clifton says he feels “proud” to have gained a number of new feminine function fashions in his life, after showing on the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?
The former Strictly Come Dancing skilled mentioned he had at all times been serious about his id, having felt prefer it was “handed to me from an early age”.
Clifton, 40, was born right into a household of dancers with sisters who additionally danced. He first appeared on the favored dancing competitors in 2013, having beforehand labored as an assistant choreographer on the present.
In 2018, he received the competitors with TV presenter Stacey Dooley, and the pair introduced their relationship in 2019.
During his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Clifton travelled to Canada searching for a lady generally known as Matooskie, who had been a part of his household “folklore”.
Speaking about his early years, he instructed the PA news company: “I feel like my whole sort of idea of myself was dancer Kevin is a dancer. That’s what he does. That’s what he is.
“He goes to dance competitions and dresses a certain way and plays the part of the dancer.”
Clifton mentioned that as he acquired older he reached a stage in his 20s when he “rebelled” towards his id as a dancer and had tried to get “as far away from it as possible”.
“I didn’t want to do dancing anymore… I became a goth and grew my hair long and black eyeliner. Yeah, fingernails and all of that. I was like, ‘No, I’m this guy now’.
I’ve always been really interested in identity, just because… my identity was kind of handed to me from a very young age.
“And then when Strictly Come Dancing happened, I sort of had to go back into being a dancer person again.”
He mentioned that after turning 40, his profile as a northern dancer, which earned him the nickname “Kevin from Grimsby” from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, had prompted him to query who he was “without all that”.
“(When) Who do you think you are? got in touch I was like… ‘wow, that this is a real opportunity to, not necessarily to find out who I am, but to find out where I’ve come from’.”
During Clifton’s episode, he traces his lineage again to an orphanage within the Canadian province of British Columbia, the place his nice, nice grandmother Emma as soon as lived.
He found that his three-times nice grandmother Grace had suffered abuse by the hands of her husband John.
Going again additional he discovered that he’s associated to an indigenous girl named Nancy, also referred to as Matooskie, his five-times nice grandmother.
He travelled to York Factory on the financial institution of the Hudson Bay, the place his five-times nice grandfather, John George McTavish had been a outstanding fur dealer.
Clifton mentioned he was “overwhelmed” after studying the news about Matooskie, and the “very offensive” language that had been used to explain her on the time.
“It’s funny how it gets to you,” he mentioned.
“Because, you know, we’re talking about my great, great, great, great, great grandma, you know?
“(It was) years ago, but I’ve suddenly become really defensive and protective of her. It’s strange, I feel so connected to it that way and so sort of protective.”
My dad instructed me a narrative, a hearsay about an indigenous girl which will or is probably not related to our household, however what I’ve found over these two weeks is that the reality behind that story is means, far more superb than the hearsay.
He later added: “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that we’d get to this level of story and adventure in my family history.
“They call me Kevin from Grimsby, but I’ve ended up in Canada and I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave this place.
“I’ve discovered Matooskie here, and it’s like I feel this sort of emotional connection to this place.
“My dad told me a story, a rumour about an indigenous woman that may or may not be connected to our family, but what I’ve discovered over these two weeks is that the truth behind that story is way, way more amazing than the rumour.”
Asked how he felt after filming the present, he instructed PA: “My main thing, as I finished was, was I felt really proud”, including that it had helped put his personal hardships in perspective.
“(Matooskie) just seemed like such a strong woman and, you know, as sort of silly as it is… I’m so far removed from her experience, I hope that even 1% of her resiliency and toughness is passed down through some generations into me.
“Now I’ve got like, a new role model, or a few role models, actually, in these women.
“To go ‘think of what they went through – don’t don’t complain about having to get on stage right now’.
“Because your life is blessed compared to what they had to go through, and they were tough. And also you wouldn’t be here if you know if they hadn’t got through it.”
Clifton shares a younger daughter with Dooley, and mentioned he couldn’t look forward to her to develop up and discover out about her historical past by means of watching the programme.
“We found out that Stacy was pregnant just as I was about to start filming this, so that felt quite cool,” he instructed PA.
“That we could go, you know, ‘oh my god I’m about to find out all this family history’, just as we’re creating the next generation.”
Kevin Clifton’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? is offered now on BBC iPlayer.