Strictly Come Dancing's famously sharp-tongued judge Craig Revel Horwood is set to bring his signature theatrical flair to a new wicked role this Christmas. The longest-serving judge on the hit BBC show will play the Wicked Stepmother in a festive production of Cinderella, a part he feels perfectly suited for.
Embracing the Villainous Role
Craig Revel Horwood has never shied away from playing characters audiences love to hate. "I absolutely love playing the villains because I think they're so much fun," he exclusively revealed. "I've played loads of wicked queens." This admission comes as no surprise to Strictly viewers, who have watched him deliver brutally honest critiques since the show began in 2004.
Despite his reputation as the show's "panto villain," Horwood believes this image is largely misunderstood. "By telling the truth that some of the celebrities were awful, people decided I was Mr Naaaarsty," he explained. "I found that - and still find it - quite funny." The 60-year-old Australian-born judge maintains that his straightforward approach is simply about being honest rather than intentionally malicious.
From Ballet to Blackpool
Horwood's journey to becoming one of Britain's most recognisable television personalities began in unlikely circumstances. Growing up in Australia with an alcoholic father, he found escape through dance. "I was a porky little kid," he recalled. "I was quite voluptuous, darling. In fact, I was so much so that my PE teacher said 'Craig, you need to take your top off and run round the oval.'"
After taking up trumpet and following a friend's advice to try dance classes, he discovered his passion. "I absolutely fell in love with jazz ballet," he said. "So much so that I started training in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and all of that stuff." His first professional job came at 17 in an Australian production of West Side Story, launching a career that would take him to Paris and eventually the UK.
His career faced early setbacks, including being sacked on his first night at the Moulin Rouge over a disagreement about duets, which he blames on "this woman, a cow, called Debbie." Despite this, he persevered, eventually performing in both Cats and Miss Saigon simultaneously in London's West End. "I was very confused," he joked. "I didn't know if I was a GI or a pussy."
Strictly Success and Personal Revelations
Horwood initially dismissed Strictly Come Dancing when producers first approached him. "I got the call and was told 'they are calling it Strictly Come Dancing. It's where celebrities learn to dance with professional dancers in three weeks.' I said 'No, that will never work,'" he remembered. "I said 'it sounds terrible. It sounds like car crash television. I'm not interested in it.'"
Despite his reservations, he joined the show and has become an integral part of its global success, which now reaches 63 countries. "I didn't think anyone would watch it," he admitted. "But I mean, it's gone to 63 countries worldwide and is still huge. I mean, it's a little bit insane."
In his new book, Revelations: Songs Boys Don't Sing, Horwood opens up about his difficult childhood with an alcoholic father. "He was a terrible alcoholic and that was prevalent all the way through our childhood," he revealed. "Growing up around alcoholism is just awful. It was just so abusive at home. That's the reason I started dancing as well."
He describes his father's behaviour escalating to the point where "Dad ended up trying to shoot her and my brother-in-law - and went to prison for it." Despite this traumatic relationship, Horwood has worked to find peace. "When he died, I made the decision that I was going to learn to love him and also love who he could have been."
Contrasting with his difficult relationship with his father, Horwood speaks fondly of his mother, Beverley, 84, who played a "pivotal role in nurturing my early interests, including my passion for performance." He also shares surprising revelations about his close friendship with fellow Strictly professional Anton du Beke, confessing "I really love him," despite their occasional on-air spats.
Beyond Strictly, Horwood remains busy with pantomime commitments in Nottingham, recording Dancing with the Stars in Australia, and his charitable work as patron and ambassador for the Royal Osteoporosis Society, where he's helped raise £500,000. He even counts Queen Camilla as a friend through this work, recalling his father's reaction to seeing them dance together: "Jeez Craig. I've just bloody seen you mate, on the bloody news, on the six o'clock news, dancing with that bloody Camilla?"
Craig Revel Horwood's new book Revelations: Songs Boys Don't Sing is available to order now priced £39.95 from A Way With Media.
