Kevin Clifton has quit Strictly Come Dancing after seven years.

The professional dancer confirmed the news on Instagram, as he thanked Strictly Come Dancing and the BBC for "giving me the opportunity to have been a part of something truly special." "Since first being called ‘Kevin From Grimsby’ by Sir Bruce Forsyth in 2013 I have experienced the highs of 5 finals, winning a Guinness World record on It Takes Two, the Strictly Arena tour glitterball and then the ultimate of winning the 2018 series with Stacey Dooley," he continued. "After finishing last series with the Children In Need trophy and the Christmas Special I want to leave on a high and have therefore decided the time has come to move on and focus on other areas of my life and career." "I want to thank all of the pros for inspiring me every day as well as all of my celebrity partners. The whole team behind the scenes have made always made the Strictly family what it is and the loveliest show to work for. Thank you to anyone who has ever voted for me and my partners. It means the world," he continued. He added that Strictly "has been and always will be the best show on tv and has been an absolute dream and honour to be a part of." Before joining in 2013, he recalled how he used to watch the show every week - and how he was looking forward to returning to being a fan and cheering on his friends who were still working on the show.