Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has spoken candidly about his deeply traumatic childhood growing up with an alcoholic father, describing the experience as 'just awful'.
The trauma of growing up with alcoholism
The 60-year-old television personality, who grew up in Australia, revealed how his father Philip's severe alcoholism created a turbulent home environment that eventually led him to seek refuge in dance. Craig confessed that his father's drinking problem was 'prevalent all the way through our childhood', creating an atmosphere of fear and instability for the entire family.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Strictly judge didn't hold back when describing the severity of the situation. 'He was a terrible alcoholic and that was prevalent all the way through our childhood,' Craig explained. 'Growing up around alcoholism is just awful.'
The violent escalation and prison sentence
The situation deteriorated to such an extent that Craig's father Philip attempted to shoot his mother Beverley and brother-in-law David. This violent incident resulted in Philip being sent to prison, though Craig didn't specify the exact duration of his father's incarceration.
Craig revealed that of the five children in the family, the eldest three bore the brunt of the abuse. 'We couldn't bring people home from school - we were too scared,' he recounted, highlighting how the family maintained secrecy about their domestic situation.
When asked if he ever confided in anyone about the abuse, Craig admitted: 'No, I kept his drinking a secret.'
Finding salvation through dance
Dance became Craig's primary means of escape from the abusive household. 'That's the reason I started dancing as well,' he explained. 'Not only because I was porky, but because I just couldn't stand being at home.'
His discovery of jazz ballet marked the beginning of a transformative journey. He began training in classical ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance, eventually landing a role in an Australian production of West Side Story at just 17 years old.
This early success launched what would become an illustrious career, culminating in his role as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing when the show first launched in 2004.
Craig's father Philip, a former Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant, passed away in December 2015 at age 74. Toxicology reports revealed massive amounts of alcohol in his system at the time of death, with Craig previously stating his father had 'a blood alcohol level of 400mg per litre'.
Reflecting on his complex relationship with his father, Craig shared: 'When he died, I made the decision that I was going to learn to love him and also love who he could have been.'
The dancer has spoken about his father's alcoholism on other occasions, including an appearance on Loose Women in April where he admitted he genuinely feared for his life. 'I thought I'd be killed. It was real, proper abuse. It was horrible to come home to from school,' he confessed.
Craig noted that the situation worsened after his father left the navy, describing him as 'functioning alcoholic for a long time' whose behaviour deteriorated significantly after his military service ended.
