Matt Kay is a London hairdresser and the husband of Lacey Turner, the EastEnders actress who has just started her run on Strictly Come Dancing 2026. The two met as teenagers, married in Ibiza on 5 September 2017, and have three children together: Dusty, Trilby and Gipsy.
That is most of what the public record actually holds. Matt has never given a big interview of his own, has kept his age and birthplace out of print, and has no verified public social media presence that we could find. So this profile sticks to what named outlets have reported, and it says plainly where the gaps are.
With Lacey partnered with 2023 champion Vito Coppola and the live shows starting on 26 September 2026, here is what we know about the man she goes home to after rehearsals.
Receipt-style graphic listing what is confirmed about Matt Kay (wedding date, proposal, three children, hairdresser) against what remains unverified (date of birth, business name, net worth, social media)
Receipt-style graphic listing what is confirmed about Matt Kay (wedding date, proposal, three children, hairdresser) against what remains unverified (date of birth, business name, net worth, social media)
Matt Kay at a Glance
| Detail | What is on record |
|---|---|
| Name | Matt Kay (sometimes spelled Kaye in older reports) |
| Known for | Husband of EastEnders actress Lacey Turner |
| Occupation | Hairdresser; reported to own a barber business in London |
| Wife | Lacey Turner (born 28 March 1988, Edgware, London) |
| Engaged | September 2016, in Venice |
| Married | 5 September 2017, private ceremony in Ibiza |
| Children | 3: Dusty (2019), Trilby (2021), Gipsy (2025) |
| Date of birth / age | Not published |
| Net worth | Not published |
| Public social media | No verified public profile found |
Who Is Matt Kay?
Matt Kay works in hair. When he married Lacey in 2017, GoodtoKnow described him as a London-based hairdresser, and a year later HELLO! reported that he owns a barber business. Neither outlet named the business, and we have not been able to confirm which shop it is or whether he still runs it in 2026, so we are not going to guess.
Beyond that, Matt is very much a private person married to a very public one. He turns up in photos from red carpets, weddings and award nights, but he has not built a profile of his own. For someone married to one of the most decorated actresses in British soap history, that looks like a choice, and a consistent one.
How Matt Kay and Lacey Turner Met
Matt and Lacey are childhood sweethearts. Multiple reports say they met at a mutual friend’s house when they were both 15. Lacey was born in March 1988, which puts that first meeting around 2003, a year before she was cast as Stacey Slater.
In other words, Matt knew Lacey before EastEnders did. She joined the soap in November 2004 at 16, and everything that followed (the awards, the tabloid attention, the storylines that made headlines) happened with him somewhere in the picture.
Speaking around the wedding, Matt told reporters: “It’s so special that we met at such a young age… I think it was meant to be.”
It has not been a perfectly straight line, and some records describe the relationship as on-off from the mid-2000s. Teenagers who meet at 15 and marry at 29 rarely go without a break or two, and neither of them has talked publicly about the details.
The Venice Proposal: September 2016
Matt proposed in September 2016 during a break in Venice, with a diamond ring. He shared the news on Instagram with a caption that was more excited than polished: “She said yes! Ooooosssshhhhhh #fiance @laceyturner.”
The engagement was reported publicly around 19 September 2016. At that point Lacey had been back on EastEnders full time for two years after her 2014 return.
The Ibiza Wedding: 5 September 2017
The couple married on 5 September 2017 at a secluded resort in the north of Ibiza. It was a private ceremony, but the guest list read like a Walford reunion. Guests included Dame Barbara Windsor, Jake Wood, James Bye, Laurie Brett and Aaron Sidwell. Some reports put the guest count at around 120 and describe Lacey’s gown as a floral appliqué design.
A year later, on their first anniversary, Lacey posted: “Happy one year my love! Easiest decision I’ve ever made.”
Why September Keeps Coming Up
Look at the dates and one month keeps showing up. Matt proposed in September 2016. They married in September 2017. And their ninth wedding anniversary on 5 September 2026 landed exactly two weeks before Lacey stepped onto the Strictly launch show on 19 September 2026.
Matt Kay and Lacey Turner’s Children
The road to parenthood was not easy. Lacey has spoken openly about suffering two miscarriages before her first child, both at around seven weeks, and has said that after the second she considered giving up on having children. Reports at the time also said she went back to work on the EastEnders set the day after one of those losses.
She announced her first pregnancy on 25 February 2019. In April 2021 she went on BBC Breakfast to push for better support for people going through miscarriage. If that is something you are dealing with, the charity Tommy’s runs free support lines staffed by midwives.
Speaking about Lacey, Matt has been quoted as saying: “I am so grateful to have such an amazing partner by my side, and I can’t help but admire her strength and resilience. She truly is incredible.” The quote was republished by HELLO! in September 2026; we could not confirm when or where he first said it.
| Child | Born | Age (September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Dusty | 12 July 2019 | 7 |
| Trilby Fox | 3 February 2021 | 5 |
| Gipsy | 17 January 2025 | 20 months |
Dusty (born 12 July 2019)
Dusty is Matt and Lacey’s first child, born in July 2019 after the two earlier losses. Lacey’s maternity leave that year wrote Stacey out of Walford for a stretch, with the character leaving in August 2019.
Trilby (born 3 February 2021)
Their son Trilby Fox arrived on 3 February 2021, about a month before his due date. The early arrival caught production off guard, and Lacey worked with EastEnders to film Stacey’s exit scenes shortly afterwards.
Gipsy (born 17 January 2025)
Their youngest, daughter Gipsy, was born on 17 January 2025, the same year Lacey would go on to leave EastEnders.
Lacey has been clear that the kids are the reason she said yes to Strictly this time. “It’s mainly for myself and my children,” she said. “I want to show them that you can do anything if you’re brave and you work hard.”
Blended and big families come up a lot in our celebrity biographies. If you want another one, our piece on jamie vardy’s children covers a family built across two decades.
Life Married to Stacey Slater
Being Matt Kay has meant being married to one of the biggest names in British soap. According to her Wikipedia biography, Lacey played Stacey Slater across 1,926 episodes and has won more than 40 awards for the role, including four National Television Awards.
- 1 November 2004: first appears as Stacey, aged 16
- 2009 to 2010: the bipolar disorder storyline and the live episode revealing Stacey as Archie Mitchell’s killer
- 25 December 2010: first exit
- 2014: returns to the show full time
- 5 September 2017: marries Matt in Ibiza
- 2019, 2021, 2025: maternity leaves shape Stacey’s storylines
- 2 October 2025: final exit so far, with Stacey heading to Brazil
Most of those big moments happened with Matt in the background. He was her boyfriend during the storylines that made her famous, and her husband during the ones that fitted round three pregnancies. Since she left, Lacey has described her time off as “lovely to be with my kids, potter around in my allotment and do things just for me.”
Lacey has not ruled out going back. “I miss Stacey, so one day, I hope to go back, but when that is, I’m not sure,” she told Prima in September 2026.
Matt Kay and Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Strictly Come Dancing returned for its 24th series on 19 September 2026, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe as the new presenting trio. Lacey was the first celebrity announced for the series, and she has been paired with Vito Coppola, who won the Glitterball in 2023 with Ellie Leach.
She has said this is not the first time the show asked. “I’ve seen co-stars like Jake Wood and Kellie Bright work at the same time as doing the show, and I don’t know how they did it,” she told Prima. “Now I’m not on EastEnders, it felt right. I’m nearly 40 and I want to start doing things I’m scared of.”
She was also honest about the nerves: “Maybe it’s a midlife crisis, but I want to show my children that they can do anything they put their mind to.”
As for Matt, there is no public statement from him about the show so far. Strictly partners and families usually turn up in the studio audience on Saturday nights, so there is a good chance he will be seen at some point, but that is not confirmed. There is also no reporting of any trouble in the marriage, whatever the “Strictly curse” headlines of past years might lead people to search for. We do not speculate about that here.
Lacey joins a long list of TV favourites who have taken on the ballroom. Former Lioness karen carney and presenter alison hammond both have profiles on the site if you want to compare paths.
Matt Kay’s Age, Net Worth and Social Media
How old is Matt Kay?
His date of birth has not been published. If the widely reported story is right and both were 15 when they met, he would be in his late thirties in 2026, close to Lacey’s 38. That is an inference, not a confirmed age.
What is Matt Kay’s net worth?
There is no reliable figure. He runs a private business and has never published his earnings, and the “net worth” numbers you will see on some websites are guesses with no source behind them. We would rather tell you that than invent one.
Is Matt Kay on Instagram?
He used Instagram to announce the engagement in 2016, so he has had an account at some point. We could not find a verified public profile for him in 2026, and we are not linking to unverified accounts.
What Remains Unverified
- His date of birth and birthplace. Never published.
- The name and location of his business. Reported as a barber business in London, never named.
- Whether he still works in hair in 2026. No recent reporting either way.
- Exactly when the relationship started. Most reports say they met at 15; some records describe an on-off relationship from 2006.
- The original source of his “strength and resilience” quote. Republished in 2026, first appearance not confirmed.
- Any net worth figure. None is reliable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lacey Turner’s husband?
Lacey Turner’s husband is Matt Kay, a London hairdresser she met when they were both 15. They married in Ibiza on 5 September 2017.
What does Matt Kay do for a living?
Matt Kay is a hairdresser. In 2018 HELLO! reported that he owns a barber business, though the business has never been publicly named.
When did Lacey Turner and Matt Kay get married?
They married on 5 September 2017 in a private ceremony at a resort in the north of Ibiza, with EastEnders stars including Barbara Windsor and Jake Wood among the guests.
How did Lacey Turner and Matt Kay meet?
They met at a mutual friend’s house when they were both 15, around a year before Lacey joined EastEnders in 2004.
How many children do Lacey Turner and Matt Kay have?
They have three children: Dusty, born 12 July 2019, Trilby, born 3 February 2021, and Gipsy, born 17 January 2025.
How old is Matt Kay?
Matt Kay’s date of birth has not been made public. Reports say he and Lacey were both 15 when they met, which suggests he is in his late thirties, but this is not confirmed.
What is Matt Kay’s net worth?
There is no reliable published figure for Matt Kay’s net worth. He runs a private business and has not disclosed his earnings.
Who is Lacey Turner’s partner on Strictly Come Dancing 2026?
Lacey Turner is partnered with Vito Coppola, who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2023 with Ellie Leach.
Is Lacey Turner still in EastEnders?
No. Lacey Turner’s last episode as Stacey Slater aired on 2 October 2025. She has said she hopes to return one day but has not given a date.
Final Thoughts: The Constant in the Background
Matt Kay is not famous, and by every sign that is how he wants it. What the record shows is someone who met Lacey Turner before anyone knew her name, stayed through two decades of soap fame, went through the loss of two pregnancies with her, and is now raising three children while she learns to dance on Saturday night television.
For more people who have built quiet lives beside famous partners, see our profiles of annie moody and rebecca burnett.
This article is based on publicly available reporting as of 24 September 2026. Details about private individuals can be incomplete or change, and where information could not be verified we have said so. Strictly Come Dancing results are updated weekly; check the BBC for the latest.