Strictly professional Kevin Clifton has yet to speak out on his new romance with Stacey Dooley, but the dancer looked in great spirits on Monday evening. The popular Strictly Come Dancing pro flashed a huge smile as he hung out with pals at a Nandos , in the first sighting of the star since his relationship with his Strictly dance partner was revealed on Sunday. The ex boyfriend of documentary maker Stacey revealed to the Mail On Sunday that Stacey had confessed the romance, just weeks after their split. In love? Strictly professional Kevin Clifton has yet to speak out on his new romance with Stacey Dooley, but the dancer looked in great spirits on Monday evening Kevin showed no sign of stress as he tucked into dinner on Monday evening, during a break from his Burn The Floor tour rehearsals, which kicks off this week. Dressed in a colourful baseball cap and jeans, Kevin chatted animatedly with friends as they arrived for the low key dinner. The dancer has yet to comment on his new headline-grabbing romance, but Stacey took to Twitter on Monday to insist there 'are two sides to every story' after her ex Sam Tucknott branded Kevin 'a rat'. Fresh claims on Tuesday suggest the BBC documentary maker broke up with boyfriend of five years for the professional dancer in order to 'better her career'. It's also been rumoured that Stacey, 32, and Kevin, 36, have been enjoying a secret romance for months, with photos emerging of the pair heading into the same Birmingham hotel in January. New romance: Stacey Dooley reportedly broke up with boyfriend of five years, personal trainer Sam Tucknott, for the her Strictly partner Kevin Clifton in order to 'better her career' Weeks after picking up the Glitterball trophy with Kevin in December, Stacey took part in the Strictly tour, but was separated from her partner who ruled himself out of the live shows to concentrate on his own Burn The Floor tour. Despite his hectic work schedule Kevin made the long trip to Birmingham to show his support for Stacey on tour, cheering her on as she danced with Aljaz Skorjanec. Kevin, whose relationship with Stacey was said to be an 'open secret' during the tour, was seen later that night heading into a five star hotel in the city, while Stacey, and the rest of the tour cast, followed close behind. Intense: Sam, who split from Stacey after a five-year relationship in March, blames the match on the intensive hours Kevin and the journalist spent together on Strictly Support: Despite his hectic work schedule Kevin made the long trip to Birmingham in January to show his support for Stacey on the Strictly tour (pictured in December) As a Strictly insider said to the Mirror: 'There was no reason for Kevin to slog all the way to Birmingham to see her perform. The fact he did speaks volumes about where they were in their relationship.' The January meet-up came weeks before Stacey announced she had split from her long-term beau Sam, after five years together. Sam himself admitted in an interview with the Mail On Sunday though, that their relationship was under strain late last year as Stacey spent 14 hours a day training with Kevin for their Strictly win. Insiders have claimed that Stacey, known for her hard-hitting BBC Three documentaries, 'dumped' Sam for Kevin as he was 'better for her image'. Close: It's been rumoured that Stacey and Kevin have been enjoying secret romance for months, with photos emerging of the pair heading into the same Birmingham hotel in January According to the report friends of Stacey had warned her that her blossoming career on the back of Strictly could be stalled if she continued in her relationship with personal trainer Sam. A source said: 'Getting on Strictly made Stacey a household name but winning was her breakthrough. The team around her had been preparing to propel her into the mainstream spotlight. They felt Sam could hold Stacey back.' While Sam supported Stacey during both the Strictly live shows, memorably leaping from his seat at her win with Kevin, and the tour, behind the scenes insiders were worried how he was affecting Stacey's image. Former flame: The January meet-up came weeks before Stacey announced she had split from her long-term beau Sam, after five years together A source added to The Sun: 'Sam turned up to the studios in a tracksuit a couple of times and there were raised eyebrows. 'Stacey's team want her with someone sharp and shiny. Kevin has charisma, he's a household name and he's well liked. Stacey knows that too — as well as falling for him, she knows Kevin will help lift her.' Representatives for Stacey and Kevin have been contacted by MailOnline for comment. On Monday Stacey defended herself in a defiant tweet a day after after her ex accused her of dumping him for Kevin. Long days and nights: The pair spent 14 hours together training during their time on Strictly Nothing bad to say: On Monday Stacey defended herself in a defiant tweet a day after after her ex accused her of dumping him for Kevin The TV presenter, 32, wrote: 'Anyone with any adult life experience knows there are 2 sides to every story. I haven’t got the time or energy to correct some of the utter nonsense I’ve read on here. 'Re Sam, I loved him v much and only wish him happiness and success going forward.' Stacey had broken her silence over the matter the day before, as she liked a tweet about forgiveness. There for her: Stacey received a lot of support from fans after her most recent post Friendship: Kevin and Stacey, pictured together in December, had a strong chemistry during their winning stint on Strictly It comes a day after Sam revealed he had confronted Kevin about his relationship with Stacey during a furious FaceTime call. He told the Mail on Sunday: 'He went white. I just stuck it on him, "You're an absolute rat. How you conducted yourself. Just a slippery, slimy snake." He didn't say a word. He looked petrified. He looked so shocked.' 'I am so respectful of [Stacey], but I am gutted and I am disappointed and I feel so let down that she did not have the respect for me to tell me and just come clean.' During the interview, Sam, who split from Stacey after a five-year relationship in March, blamed the potential match on the intensive hours Kevin and the journalist spent together on Strictly. Hurt: Stacey's ex boyfriend of five years Sam branded Kevin a 'snake' and a 'rat' for sending flirty text messages to Stacey He said all was well in their relationship until mid-November - when Stacey and Kevin were performing in Strictly Come Dancing - and he noticed flirty text messages from the dancer. Sam said a message Stacey received from Kevin one Sunday morning read 'I love dancing with you and spending every minute I can with you'. The personal trainer said: 'Maybe I was too naive. Looking back now all the signs were there that I had lost Stacey, but I kept thinking we had done the hardest bit. 'I had proved to her for five years that I could cope with her going away for long periods of time because the love I have for her is unconditional.' But by the end of March, the couple had made arrangements to separate and for Stacey to move out of their Brighton home. It was then that Sam discovered a text message from Kevin which he said confirmed to him that they were in a relationship - and he decided to confront the dancer. Flirty: Sam said all was well in their relationship until November - when Stacey and Kevin were performing in Strictly Come Dancing - and he noticed flirty text messages from the dancer All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility