Strictly's Kevin Clifton shares heartbreaking loss following death of 'amazing' friend


Former Strictly professional Kevin Clifton has shared a touching tribute to his late friend, Jonathan Clough, after the former producer died from a brain tumour


Kevin Clifton at the WhatsOnStage Awards© Getty
Matthew MooreSenior Evening Writer
3 hours ago
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Kevin Clifton has shared a tribute to former Strictly Come Dancing producer Jonathan Clough, who was just 35 years old. The pro dancer shared an image of his friend, alongside a second one featuring the pair together.

In a touching tribute, Kevin penned: "An amazing friend, an amazing man, an amazing father and a heck of a fighter for his amazing family. I will miss you forever." He added two broken heart emojis alongside the post.

Kevin's followers were quick to offer their condolences, with his long-term girlfriend, Stacey Dooley, and former Strictly contestant, Dr Ranj Singh, both sharing single heart emojis in the comments.

One fan said: "Jonathan was one of a kind, it's just too sad. Loads of love," while a second added: "Heck of a man who will be missed so very much," and another posted: "Sending so much love Kev."

© Instagram
Kevin paid a heartfelt tribute to his late friend

Jonathan, who shared children with his wife Tracy, was a television producer. He worked on Strictly Come Dancing between 2017 and 2019, and has also worked on shows including The Apprentice, MasterChef and Gogglebox.

Jonathan's cancer journey

Jonathan was diagnosed with a Grade 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer back in March 2024. At the time, he was preparing to take on a new filming role, which would have seen him travel out to Alaska.

In a GoFundMe, his wife, Tracy, wrote: "Everything then happened shockingly quickly (making us frighteningly aware of the severity of his situation). Within two days, he underwent major surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible. What followed was an intensive six weeks of double chemo and radiotherapy, followed by a further six months of chemotherapy.

© getty
Kevin Clifton competed on Strictly while Jonathan was a producer

"For a while, we had hope. His scans showed the treatment was working, keeping the tumour stable. We dared to dream we'd fight this for a while. But now, our worst fears have come true. The latest scans show regrowth and new activity. This new activity is considered inoperable."

As a result of the treatment, the family moved away from London to Wigan in order to be closer to their family and support networks. In September, Tracy wrote that Jonathan was able to watch his eldest daughter, start school.

He sadly died on Boxing Day, with his friend Sam Swainsbury sharing the news. At the time, he noted: "He saw his daughter's first day at school. He then made it to her first play. He then made it to Christmas. He then sadly passed on Boxing Day. He fought for every last second. He exceeded all expectations. He was extraordinary."

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