Andy Carroll names former BBC star jailed for sexual assault

Former England striker Andy Carroll has publicly confirmed the identity of the man jailed for sexually assaulting him in 2021.

The former Newcastle United and Liverpool forward named dance coach Kevin Adams, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison in 2023 following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Adams, who previously worked as a coach on the BBC show Fame Academy and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing’s It Takes Two, had run a children’s dance academy in Essex before his conviction.

Carroll had previously detailed the traumatic experience in his autobiography, ‘Owning It’, which was published last month, but had not initially named his attacker.

A horrifying ordeal at home

The incident occurred in 2021 after Carroll returned to his home following a match for his hometown club Newcastle.

His former wife, Billi Mucklow, had suggested inviting Adams over to watch a boxing match and letting him stay in their spare room.

Carroll described waking up to find Adams under his bedsheets while he was sleeping naked.

Speaking about the assault in his autobiography, Carroll wrote:

“I sleep naked and when I wake up this guy is under the duvet.”

The striker reacted by striking Adams and dragging him out of the house, before locking the door and calling the police.

Carroll recalled how he sobbed in his children’s nanny’s arms after the police were called to his home, as the reality of the assault began to sink in.

The devastating impact on Carroll’s life

The aftermath of the assault took a heavy toll on the player, who struggled to process the trauma.

In his book, Carroll explained how the incident disrupted his daily routine and his professional career.

Detailing the mental burden of the attack in his autobiography, Carroll wrote:

“What happened to me affected every facet of my life. I’d think about it every day, making it difficult to focus on anything else, including football . . .”

Carroll admitted he debated with his current partner, Lou Teasdale, before deciding to include the assault in his book at the last minute, hoping it might help other survivors.

In his autobiography, Carroll admitted that he had avoided his publisher for a long time because he was scared to speak about the trauma.

A fabricated defence in court

During the legal proceedings, Adams attempted to portray himself as the victim, claiming that Carroll had assaulted him without any provocation.

The former England international described the entire court process as humiliating and horrendous, particularly as Adams tried to avoid responsibility.

However, the judge at Chelmsford Crown Court dismissed Adams’ version of events during his sentencing.

Addressing Adams in court, Judge Mary Loram said:

“You spun a literally incredible tale in which you painted yourself as the victim. You’ve actually started to believe your own lies.”

After discovering that Adams was named in public court documents, Carroll decided to confirm his identity to the Sun.

Speaking to the Sun, Carroll said:

“Now that Kevin Adams has been named in court documents as my abuser, I can confirm it.”

Moving forward from the trauma

Carroll, who now works as a player-coach for National League South side Dagenham & Redbridge, expressed his desire to put the ordeal behind him.

He requested that the media and public refrain from publishing images of Adams alongside him when discussing the case.

The 37-year-old explained that seeing his abuser’s face serves as a constant reminder of a period that had a devastating impact on his loved ones.