05-11 AUGUST 2019 BIGISSUE.COM | 23
'You can drive
yourself loopy
trying to make
everyone like
you – and it’ll
never happen'
What do you do after winning TV’s glitteriest trophy – maybe head to Syria to
meet Isis brides or hang out with bounty hunters and arms dealers in the States- or Boko Haram militants in Nigeria?
Well, that’s what reigning Strictly Come Dancing champ Stacey Dooley did. But
all this is fairly normal for the 32-year-old from Luton, who for the last decade has
carved a niche for her jaw-droppingly hard-hitting yet hugely personable films
for BBC Three.
Since winning Britain’s most dazzling ballroom extravaganza, Dooley has
transformed from quite-well-known documentarian to one of the country’s
biggest celebrities, whose every move is scrutinised by the tabloids (one news
website published six stories about her on a single day last week). Her relationship
with Strictly partner Kevin Clifton may dominate headlines but she has much more
on her mind.
Image: Interview: Steven MacKenzieRobert Wilson