Lincolnshire-born Joanne Clifton joined Strictly in 2014, battling against big brother Kevin Clifton for the Glitterball trophy. She competed with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, making it through to week six before being eliminated in the Halloween Show.
My favourite dance is the Quickstep - I love zooming down that floor!Joanne Clifton
She was absent from Strictly in 2015 while appearing in her first musical production Face The Music, although she put in some pretty impressive appearances on the Children In Need and Christmas specials, the latter of which she actually won with former champion Harry Judd of McFly.
For 2016, she’s back in the Strictly family full-time with a beady eye on that trophy!
Background
Like her brother Kevin, Jo was tutored in ballroom by her parents, former British Latin American Champions Keith and Judy, at their dance school in Grimsby. Entering her first dance competition at the age of four, she and Kevin competed as partners until she was 15, when he decided to specialise in Latin and Joanne took the ballroom route. At 16, Jo pursued her dancing career in Italy with Europe’s biggest dance school, Team Diablo.
Joanne has been 2014 Ballroom Showdance World Champion, as well as five-time British Champion, three time Italian Champion and Professional World Dancesport Games Champion 2013.
Jo’s favourite dance is the Quickstep because it’s full of energy and allows her to just let it go”. She’s not keen on all dances though – she dislikes “Anything where you have to be sexy in it because, well, I'm just not!”
Trivia
Outside of dancing, Jo loves to sing. “Like dancing, I'm just in my own world when I'm actually doing it,” she says.
And, with such an incredible physique, you might be surprised to hear she’s also a lover of some of Britain’s finest culinary delights including sausage and mash, Cornish pasties, and fish, chips ‘n’ mushy peas. You can take the girl out of Grimsby…
