Joanne Kirsty Clifton (born 26 October 1983) is an English professional dancer, presenter, actress, and singer. She won the World Ballroom Showdance Championship in 2014, and won the European Professional Ballroom Championship and World Dancesport Games. She was a professional dancer on the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing from 2014 to 2016, winning the fourteenth series with Ore Oduba. She also appeared as an expert presenter on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two in 2015 and 2019.
Since leaving Strictly, Clifton has starred in multiple stage productions such as the UK tours of Shrek the Musical and The Addams Family. She has been nominated for two Offies.
Dancing career Clifton started dancing ballroom and Latin as a child in her home village of Waltham, taught by her parents, former world number ones Keith and Judy Clifton. She competed nationally and internationally as a child, initially partnering her brother Kevin. Later, she chose to specialise in ballroom so as not to directly compete against her brother. She has competed in both ballroom and Latin since the age of 4. She has been a British Champion five times and Italian Champion three times, and was Professional Ballroom European Champion in 2012 and Professional World Dancesport Games Champion in 2013.
In 2000, Clifton moved to Bologna, Italy, to train with Team Diablo, the biggest dance school in Europe. She was initially partnered with Marco Cavallaro, reaching sixth in the world in amateur rankings with him. She moved to professional competition when she was chosen to partner Paolo Bosco in 2011. In 2013, they were amongst ten other professional dancing couples to be invited to perform at the Kremlin. She and her partner became champions of the World Dancesport Games in Taiwan in 2013 and won the World Professional Ballroom Showdance Championships in Merano, Italy, later that year. Clifton danced with Bosco competitively until his retirement on 15 December 2013. She retired from competitive dancing on 19 December 2013.
From April to May 2014, she joined her brother as a dancer in the Burn the Floor Dance Company, performing in the show's tour of Australia and Japan.
Strictly Come Dancing In 2014, Clifton was confirmed as a professional dancer on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with the DJ Scott Mills. They made it through to week six but were eliminated in the Halloween show. On 6 November 2014, Clifton appeared on BBC Radio 1's Innuendo Bingo. Clifton remained part of the professional line up for the following series but was not given a partner for the main show. She did, however, compete in the Children in Need special with the actor Stephen McGann and went on to win the Christmas Special with the series 9 winner Harry Judd. Clifton returned full-time to the main show for the fourteenth series and was paired with the TV presenter Ore Oduba. On 17 December, they were crowned the winners, giving her first win of the main series.
It was announced on 21 June 2017 that Clifton was to leave Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer after three years, due to wanting to progress in her musical theatre career.
Series Partner Place AverageScore12Scott Mills11th18.214Ore Oduba1st35.7
Performances Series 12 with Scott Mills Week # Dance/song Judges' scores Total Result Horwood Bussell Osmond Goodman Tonioli 1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Rock DJ" 2 4 – 5 5 None 2 Tango / "Stop" 4 5 – 6 5 20 Safe 3 Samba / "Under the Sea" 2 5 7 5 6 25 Safe 4 American Smooth / "Total Eclipse of the Heart" 2 5 – 4 4 Safe 5 Charleston / "Flash, Bang Wallop" 4 5 – 5 5 19 Safe 6 Foxtrot / "The Addams Family Theme" 3 6 – 6 6 21 Eliminated
Series 14 with Ore Oduba Week # Dance/song Judges' scores Total Result Horwood Bussell Goodman Tonioli 1 Tango / "Geronimo" 7 7 6 7 27 None 2 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Hot Stuff" 6 7 7 7 27 Safe3 American Smooth / "Singin' in the Rain" 8 9 9 9 35 Safe4 Jive / "Runaway Baby" 9 10 10 10 Safe5 Waltz / "I Will Always Love You"9999Safe6 Charleston / "I Want Candy"789933Safe7 Salsa / "Turn the Beat Around"889934Bottom two8 Rumba / "Ordinary People"899935Safe9 Viennese Waltz / "That's Life"810101038Safe10 Paso Doble / "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"Cha-cha-cha Challenge / "I Like It Like That"8awarded949extra10points3640Safe11 Foxtrot / "Pure Imagination"999936Bottom two12 Quickstep / "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"Argentine tango / "Can't Get You Out of My Head"89101010101010Safe13 American Smooth / "Singin' in the Rain" Showdance / "I Got Rhythm" Jive / "Runaway Baby"991010101010101010101039Winners
Stage career In 2015, Clifton appeared in her first musical, the production of Face the Music at Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre, playing Street Walker; she was nominated for a 2016 Offie. In 2016, she appeared in Norma Jeane The Musical, playing the title character, Marilyn Monroe.
In 2017, Clifton played the title role of Millie Dillmount in the UK tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie. She also played the lead role of Alex Owens in the UK Tour of Flashdance the Musical. Between December 2017 and January 2018, Clifton played the role of Dale Tremont in the musical Top Hat, her second nomination for an Offie.
In 2019, she starred as the lead role of Janet Weiss in the UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show. In 2021, she starred as Morticia Addams in the second UK Tour of The Addams Family. In 2023, she toured with Shrek The Musical in the role of Princess Fiona. Clifton also starred as Velma von Tussle in the 2024 UK tour of Hairspray, and in the 2025–2026 UK tour of Fawlty Towers: The Play as Polly. +YearTItleRoleVenueNotesReferences2015Face the MusicStreet WalkerYe Olde Rose & Crown TheatreOffie nomination2016Norma Jean the MusicalMarilyn MonroeLost Theatre2017Thoroughly Modern MillieMillie DillmountUK tourFlashdance the MusicalAlex OwensUK tour2017–2018Top HatDale TremontHighgate TheatreOffie nomination2019The Rocky Horror ShowJanet WeissUK tour2021The Addams FamilyMorticia AddamsUK tour2023Shrek the MusicalPrincess FionaUK tour2024HairsprayVelma von TussleUK tour2025–2026Fawlty Towers: The PlayPollyUK tour
Personal life Clifton grew up in the small North East Lincolnshire village of Waltham with her older brother, Kevin Clifton, mother, Judy Clifton and father Keith Clifton. She attended East Ravendale Primary School and Caistor Grammar School.
In 2017, Clifton appeared with her dance partner Ore Oduba in an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip on BBC Two and rebroadcast in the US on PBS stations.
Since 2020, Clifton has been in a relationship with fellow stage actor AJ Jenks. On 29 September 2025, Clifton and Jenks announced their engagement, writing, "Got bored..... so we're getting married. Cheers!".
In July 2026, Clifton announced she was pregnant with her first child.
References
External links
Joanne Clifton at WordPress
Joanne Clifton at BroadwayWorld