Andy Carroll identifies former BBC Fame Academy star as his sexual abuser

Former England striker Andy Carroll has confirmed that former Fame Academy dance coach Kevin Adams was the man convicted of sexually assaulting him, bringing a painful chapter of his life further into the public spotlight.

Former England striker Andy Carroll has publicly confirmed that Kevin Adams, a former dance coach on BBC’s Fame Academy, was the man who sexually assaulted him, after the convicted offender’s name appeared in publicly available court documents.

The 37-year-old had previously revealed the traumatic experience in his autobiography Owning It but deliberately withheld his attacker’s identity.

Carroll has now confirmed Adams was responsible, saying he hopes the disclosure will finally allow him to move on from an ordeal that had a profound effect on his personal life and football career.

Adams, 59, was convicted of sexual assault at Chelmsford Crown Court in 2023 and sentenced to 20 months in prison. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and banned from the village where Carroll lived.

The judge rejected Adams’ attempt to portray himself as the victim during the proceedings.

A painful chapter

Carroll said the incident continued to affect him long after it happened and explained that he initially struggled with whether to include it in his book. He eventually chose to speak about the experience in the hope that doing so could help other victims.

The former Newcastle and Liverpool forward has also asked the public not to circulate photographs of him with Adams, saying he does not want constant reminders of the assault whenever the story resurfaces.

The case has now brought renewed attention to Carroll’s decision to speak openly about sexual assault and the lasting impact it had on his life.