She’s been firmly in the headlines since her romance with Strictly Come Dancing partner Kevin Clifton was revealed. But Stacey Dooley has escaped the drama surrounding her personal life as she continued to holiday with her pals in Portugal. The journalist, 32, took to Instagram on Saturday to upload a snap of herself and a friend enjoying the sun during a laid back car ride. Escape: Stacey Dooley, 32, took to Instagram on Saturday to upload a snap of herself and a pal enjoying the sun during a laid back car ride Shade the sun like Stacey wearing Tom Ford sunglasses Shop black version here... Buy now £212 Stacey didn’t appear to have a care in the world as she flashed a peace sign and posed with her pal during the girls’ getaway. Donning trendy, over-sized shades and a plain white T-shirt, Stacey added a plethora of gold jewellery to her look while her auburn tresses were worn in loose waves. The star looked happy and relaxed during the outing as she put the drama back home firmly to the back of her mind. Stacey's picture comes after she appeared to pay tribute to her supportive girlfriends on Instagram on Wednesday, posting a snap of her walking away from the camera in the desert, with her arm around one of them. Leave it all behind: The journalist escaped the drama surrounding her personal life as she continued her holiday with her pals in Portugal 'I love you all': Stacey Dooley appeared to pay tribute to her supportive girlfriends on Instagram on Wednesday, posting a snap of her walking away from the camera in the desert, with her arm around one of them Wearing a flowing semi-sheer muslin dress, which caught the light in the Portuguese sunshine, Stacey strolled along the sand with her pal, captioning the snap sweetly with: '...my girls have been magic. I love you all.' There is said to have been drama around Stacey and Kevin's dalliance, with her ex, Sam Tucknott, reported to have confronted the dancer about his relationship with Stacey in a furious FaceTime call. The personal trainer, 30, claims he called Kevin, 36, a 'snake' and a 'rat' when he discovered flirty text messages sent to his ex after they separated. He told the Mail on Sunday last week: '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.' Snake: The personal trainer, 30, called Kevin a 'snake' and watched all the colour drain from his face after he discovered flirty text messages sent to his ex '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.' The fitness fanatic said Kevin - who he referred to as his 'best mate' - has since refused to meet and discuss the relationship 'man-to-man'. He said: 'To have that relationship where you are best buddies, but then you start going cold because you start fancying their girlfriend – I hold no respect for him whatsoever. He said: 'He went white. I just stuck it on him, "You’re an absolute rat. How you conducted yourself. Just a slippery, slimy snake" Old times: The fitness fanatic said Kevin - who he referred to as his 'best mate' - has since refused to meet and discuss the relationship 'man-to-man' 'He has gone from my best mate wanting to know the ins and outs of what I am up to and then he can't even go out of his way to reply. That's come from guilt.' And Sam, who split from Stacey after a three-year relationship in March, blames the potential match on the intensive hours Kevin and the journalist spent together on Strictly. It comes after Sam revealed he had split from his girlfriend of five years in an interview with the Mail on Sunday. 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. Intense: And Sam, who split from Stacey after a three-year relationship in March, blames the match on the intensive hours Kevin and the journalist spent together on Strictly Split: It comes after Sam revealed he had split from his girlfriend of five years in an interview with the Mail on Sunday 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. Flirt: 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' Former flame: By the end of March, the couple had made arrangements to separate and 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. He told the Sun: 'Her phone went and it was Kevin Clifton — 'I love you' with a red love heart.' Kevin - who won Strictly with Stacey last year - split from his third wife and co-star Karen in March 2018. Victim: A series of couples have fallen victim to the curse since the show's inception in 2004, including Natasha Kaplinsky, Ben Cohen, Louise and Jamie Redknapp Competing on Strictly requires hard work and often draws competitors away from their families, creating rifts between loved ones. This phenomenon is known as the Strictly curse and has led to several divorces and breakups. A series of couples have fallen victim to the curse since the show's inception in 2004, including Natasha Kaplinsky, Ben Cohen, Louise and Jamie Redknapp, and more recently Neil and Katya Jones. The show is also responsible for forming new romances, with lovebirds Giovanni Pernice and Ashley Roberts and Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell embarking on romances following the 2018 series. Love: The show is also responsible for forming new romances, with lovebirds Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell embarking on romances following the 2018 seriesAll rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility