Strictly star Joanne Clifton, 42, is pregnant with first child
Joanne Clifton, 42, has revealed she's expecting her first child with fiancé AJ Jenk.
Joanne Clifton is pregnant with her first child.
The 42-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing star is expecting her first baby with fiancé AJ Jenk, and the couple revealed the heartwarming news in a sweet social media post.
The parents-to-be confirmed they are set to welcome their bundle of joy into the world in December this year.
Alongside a photo of a Baby On Board badge, the couple quipped: "Can't wait to meet…ErlingbellinghamDebrunyeLennonMcCartneyTaylorHansonHelenMcroryClaudiaWinklemanAlanCarrBuddyHollyPollyShermanPrincessFiona Clifton-Jenks.
'Cya in December. (sic)"
Plenty of Joanne's former Strictly co-stars, including her brother Kevin Clifton, were quick to reply with heart emojis and congratulations.
Dianne Buswell and Amy Dowden were among those to comment, while Janette Manrara was delighted by the "amazing news".
And Karen Hauer added: "Aww wonderful news!! Congratulations."
Joanne and AJ, who announced their engagement in September 2025, went public with their relationship in 2020.
For a long time, she'd told herself not to date "anyone from the industry", but he was able to change her mind.
She told the Metro newspaper: "Before I met my boyfriend AJ, I said to myself, I'm not going to go out with anyone from the industry.
"But you can't help what happens. I went to see AJ in the Buddy Holly musical and he asked me out for a drink.
"I was convinced it wasn't going to work but we've been together nearly two years now."
Joanne spent three years as a pro dancer on Strictly, and won the hit BBC ballroom competition with Ore Oduba in her final series back in 2016.
She appeared on spin-off show It Takes Two, but went onto star in West End shows like Shrek The Musical, The Addams Family, and Fawlty Towers: The Play.
Back in May, she opened up about her role in the latter as Polly, who was played by Connie Booth in the original sitcom.
She quipped: "I’ve been a green, farting ogre on stage [Princess Fiona in Shrek] and a vampiresque Morticia [in The Addams Family].
“There’s no dancing, no singing and my character doesn’t have any funny lines. I am really, really posh British, with a bit of an American twang; I’m the only serious one in it, to be fair.”
