Chris Appleton is making his live Strictly Come Dancing debut tonight, but viewers are also keen to find out more about his life away from the ballroom.
The celebrity hairdresser, 43, has been paired with professional dancer Amy Dowden for this year’s series.
Tonight, Saturday September 26, 2026, the pair will perform a Tango to No Roots by Alice Merton.
While Chris gets ready to take to the dance floor, fans want to know who will be supporting him from the sidelines.
So, is Chris married? And does he have children?
Is Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris Appleton married?
Chris was born in Leicester but now divides his time between Britain and America.
When he is in the UK, the hairdresser lives at his Georgian manor in the Cotswolds, while his home in the US is in Los Angeles.
Chris is believed to be single following the end of his marriage to White Lotus star Lukas Gage.
The pair had a whirlwind romance, meeting in February 2023 before getting engaged just one month later. They married in April that year.
However, their marriage lasted just seven months, with the couple splitting in 2024.
Chris, who has worked with stars including Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, later opened up about the emotional impact of the divorce.
Speaking on the Jay Shetty Podcast last year, he described the period as “painful”.
Chris said: “I think people have this perception, from social media probably, that I have it together. I work with these amazing people, life looks glamorous.
“But the truth is, especially during that time, I was going through a lot of private pain.”
Chris also reflected on how quickly the relationship progressed.
“Moving fast doesn’t always mean you’re reckless. I think sometimes it means you’re hopeful.
“Any relationship I’ve ever been into, I’ve gone into with an open heart. And I have no regrets about that… I would rather love and fall than to never feel anything at all.”
Does Chris Appleton have children?
Chris is also a father of two children from his previous long term relationship with ex girlfriend Katie Katon.
The couple were never married and welcomed their son Billy in December 2002.
Their daughter Kitty Blu arrived two years later, in November 2004. Billy is now 24, while Kitty Blu is 21.
Chris has previously spoken candidly about coming out to his children 17 years ago, when he was 26.
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At the time, he was struggling with his mental health and described the period as one of the “darkest” moments of his life.
During an interview on the On Purpose podcast, Chris revealed that he had attempted to take his own life.
He said: “It felt like it would be better for them to have a dad that was dead than a dad that was gay. It’s not something I’ve ever spoken about.”
‘I felt I’d failed as a dad’
Looking back, Chris explained: “All of a sudden, I just felt like I’d just messed their life up, and I felt like I’d failed as a dad because my job was to protect them and if anyone ever hurt them, I would protect them.
“But I was the one [who] hurt them, and I couldn’t understand that.”
Chris survived the suicide attempt and has described it as a “turning point” in his life.
He said the experience ultimately helped him accept himself and move forward, while his relationship with his children has grown stronger.
“Something changed then,” Chris said. “It was really powerful because I realised I couldn’t hate myself any more than I had, and I couldn’t try and stop being gay anymore. I decided to live.”
- Strictly Come Dancing starts at 6.15pm on BBC One on Saturday September 26, 2026.
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