Joanne Clifton, 42, has announced she is expecting her first child with actor fiancé AJ Jenks and revealed they are having a boy. The "Strictly Come Dancing" star dismissed claims about being an "older mum" ahead of her child's arrival in December.
Clifton shared the news of her pregnancy with a "Baby On Board" badge post on Instagram in July. She and Jenks recently discovered the baby's gender during a scan. "We're so excited," Clifton told OK!. "We did feel it might be a boy from the beginning. Then, for some reason, the week before the gender scan we convinced ourselves otherwise. So when the nurse said, 'You're having a boy,' we were so shocked that we had to go out for a walk and just let it sink in."
The couple has already chosen a name for their son but are keeping it private. Clifton, who will be 43 when she becomes a mother, said she is unconcerned about her age, noting that many of her friends are also older mothers. She emphasized the importance of staying fit and healthy during pregnancy.
Clifton and Jenks, who have been together for nearly two years, were not actively trying to conceive. Clifton mentioned they were seeing each other only twice a week due to separate professional tours. "Of course, in your forties, you do wonder if it might not happen," she stated. "But we just thought, 'let's go for it. If it doesn't, we'll still be happy.'"
Clifton, who won "Strictly Come Dancing" in 2016 with presenter Ore Oduba, appeared as a professional dancer on the show for three years. She has since built a successful career in the West End, performing in productions such as "Shrek The Musical" and "Fawlty Towers: The Play." Clifton and Jenks announced their engagement in September 2020, shortly after revealing their relationship.