Joanne Clifton, who won the glitterball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 with Ore Oduba, has revealed that her own parents actively discouraged people from voting for her. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, the stage star shared that her mother and father were so anxious about the prospect of one of their children losing that they asked friends and dance school associates to support another couple instead.
Parents' Unusual Request
Clifton and her brother Kevin, also a professional dancer on the show, both reached the final that year. Kevin was paired with singer Louise Redknapp, while Joanne partnered with Oduba. Their opponents were professional Oti Mabuse and her partner Danny Mac. The Clifton parents, keen to avoid any disappointment, made a surprising plea.
“So my mum and dad told everybody at their dance school and everybody in Grimsby, ‘please don't vote for either Kevin or Joanne. Vote for Danny and Oti because we can't deal with it if one of them has to lose,’” Joanne recalled with a laugh. “When we were kids, we would do completely different dance categories so we didn't have to compete against each other. Then when I got on Strictly, he'd already been there for a year, so that was the first time we competed against each other, and we both made the final that year.”
Career Surprises After Strictly
Despite her parents' wishes, Joanne and Ore won the series. The victory opened unexpected doors for her career. “I think for me I was surprised by the type of roles I got offered,” she said. “I came off Strictly, and I'd done some musicals before — like classic ballroom type shows, old classic Hollywood ones. Then I got Flashdance, which is still a dance. And then with Rocky Horror, I'm suddenly in a bra and knickers on stage. So that was a surprise.”
Her career continued to evolve with roles such as Morticia in The Addams Family, Pippen, and Princess Fiona in Shrek. “That kind of thing is my biggest surprise, the types of roles where my career's taken me, because I didn't think that I would ever be a quirky character. I thought I'd stay in the Ginger Rogers type parts,” she smiled.
Reuniting with Oti Mabuse for Anniversary Tour
Joanne has now teamed up with Oti Mabuse for a new show, 10 – Joanne and Ore - Champions Reignited, which they conceived themselves. The tour marks the 10-year anniversary of their winning series. “Because the last time we danced together was 2017. We came back to do the winners' dance. We thought that can't just be it, so we wanted to do a show for all these years, but because of our schedules and being fortunate getting work here and there, musicals and plays and things like that, we haven't really ever had the chance. But then this year was the 10-year anniversary,” Joanne explained.
She added: “When we look back, it was such a special year with so many iconic dances. Not just ourselves, but the likes of Ed Balls with Gangnam Style, Danny Mac coming out with his samba and things like that. And it was Len Goodman's last series. So, it was just a very, very special series in my opinion. And so we thought there had to be a 10-year anniversary tour.”
The tour begins at Bournemouth Pavilion on August 17 and will travel across the country. Tickets are available from venue websites.
