Stacey Dooley made a candid confession about the "unhinged" reality of motherhood, having previously underestimated the challenges it would bring. The presenter, 38, welcomed her first child, Minnie, with her boyfriend and Strictly Come Dancing partner Kevin Clifton in January 2023. Since welcoming their daughter, Stacey has been frank about her preconceived notions of parenting and how they were swiftly overturned by actual experience.

The documentary maker confessed that she initially thought others were "exaggerating" or "being a bit dramatic" about the difficulties of raising children, but this quickly changed once she became a mother herself. Speaking to Heat Magazine, Stacey reflected: "I thought everyone was exaggerating. Truly, I thought everyone was just being a bit dramatic. I used to think, 'It can't be that hard'. Then, the second my daughter came on the scene, I was just unhinged.

"I did not know what I was doing, and that's entirely my fault because I didn't put any preparation in whatsoever. The first few months, Kev and I were living in the living room."

Stacey also shared the chaos of their early days with Minnie, saying the rest of the house seemed non-existent and they were surrounded by energy drinks and Yorkie wrappers, calling it the "pits".

It comes after Stacey admitted her intimate life with pro dancer Kevin, 42, has taken a backseat since welcoming Minnie. The couple first met in 2018 after they were partnered together on Strictly, which they went on to win. More than five years into their relationship, Stacey jokingly admitted that they have forgotten how to have sex.

Speaking on the Parenting Hell podcast with comedians Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe, Stacey explained: "Minnie is in our bed. I am sort of not really ar**d. I know there's such emphasis on getting kids in their own bed, but I think it's because Kev is away so much anyway.

"What am I doing otherwise? Maybe when Kev is back on the scene, we will start remembering how you have sex. Then maybe I would think, Minnie, you're going to have to go and hang out in your own bedroom now."

Kevin, who was a professional dancer on Strictly from 2013 to 2019, is currently touring the UK as Billy Flynn in Chicago The Musical.

Sharing their routine while Kevin is away, she said: "Of an evening we'll have something to eat, then I'll put her in the bath. We have a bit of a chat, put her PJ's on and we just end up getting in my bed together."

Stacey added: "We watch one episode of Paddington then go to sleep. I am going to bed early, at 8pm. I love it, honestly!"