Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has revealed he suffered a severe allergic reaction to a hair dye product, which he says left him in hospital and 'could have died'.
Allergic reaction to hair dye
The 61-year-old, known for his acid-tongued comments on the BBC show, opened up on the health scare during an episode of the podcast Judgemental with fellow judge Anton du Beke. He explained that he is allergic to the chemical compound PPD (p-phenylenediamine), which is commonly found in hair dyes.
Craig told Anton: "I had a terrible, allergic reaction to hair dye. It was bad. I ended up in hospital. Anaphylactic shock. I could have died. It's true."
The dancer said he left the product in his facial hair for three minutes before having a bad reaction. It subsequently started releasing pus and that carried on for three weeks "all the way down my chest", according to Craig. It necessitated him sitting up in bed and wearing a bib.
PPD in hair dyes
PPD is regularly used for permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes, supposedly to provide a long-lasting and natural-looking colour. On the other hand, it can also be a powerful allergen, reports the Daily Mirror.
Craig continued: "There's a lot of people that are actually allergic to it. You have to do a test before you put it on just to see if you have a reaction to it, but I had a really bad reaction. So dye, I'm afraid, is out for me. And even semi-permanent, they have some of that PPD in it. It was awful, it was horrible. So I can't dye my hair."
Strictly future and tribute to Len Goodman
It comes after Craig made a defiant vow after Strictly's huge shake-up. Long-serving presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped aside at the end of the last series, and they have been replaced by Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.
Despite the big changes, Craig says he has no plans to go anywhere. He told the Mirror: "They'll have to drag me by whatever hair I have left, kicking and screaming, I love it, it's become a big part of my life now. It's the best Saturday job ever."
He also paid an emotional tribute to former head judge Len Goodman, following his death in 2023 at the age of 78. Len starred on Strictly from 2004 to 2016. Craig said: "I miss him from the bottom of my heart. Whenever I hear the Strictly theme music, I always think of Len Goodman and Bruce Forsyth. Because Len created Strictly. Without Len, I don't think the show would have survived. He was a master at his craft. He was a comedian."
