Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Joanne Clifton has announced she is pregnant with her first child at age 42, with her fiancé AJ Jenks. The couple, who got engaged in September 2025, shared the news on Instagram, posting a picture of a 'Baby on board' badge.
Baby due in December
AJ Jenks wrote in the caption: 'Can't wait to meet…ErlingbellinghamDebrunyeLennonMcCartneyTaylorHansonHelenMcroryClaudiaWinklemanAlanCarrBuddyHollyPollyShermanPrincessFiona Clifton-Jenks. Cya in December!' The humorous name is not the baby's actual name, but a playful combination of various celebrities and fictional characters.
Congratulatory messages from Strictly stars
Fellow Strictly professionals flooded the comments with warm wishes. Neil Jones, who recently married, wrote: 'The best news. Congratulations.' Karen Hauer said: 'Aww wonderful news!! Congratulations,' while Janette Manrara described it as 'amazing news'. Joanne's brother Kevin Clifton responded with a row of heart emojis, as did his partner Stacey Dooley, whom he was partnered with on Strictly in 2018. Sara Davies commented: 'Beyond thrilled!!' and Fleur East added: 'Wooo! Congratulations.'
Joanne's Strictly career
Joanne Clifton was a professional dancer on the BBC series from 2014 to 2016. She won the Glitterball Trophy in her final year with TV and radio presenter Ore Oduba. After leaving the main show, she continued to appear on spin-off It Takes Two as an expert. Her brother Kevin was a pro until 2019. In 2017, Joanne told Metro that leaving Strictly was a 'tough decision'. She also spoke about sibling rivalry: 'I'm the more competitive one of the two anyway. When I was younger, Kevin was the competitive one, but as I got older I got to be more competitive.'
Upcoming theatre tour with Ore Oduba
Joanne and Ore Oduba are set to embark on a limited theatre tour titled 10: Champions Reignited, marking a decade since their Strictly win. Ore told West End Best Friend: 'It's gonna be nostalgic. There'll be lots that people remember from Joanne and my partnership on Strictly, but it's also a look back at the last 10 years of our lives on stage.' Joanne added: 'Expect to relive moments from 10 years ago on Strictly! Hopefully they'll all come back when people watch our versions of those dances.'
