Craig Revel Horwood says there is 'no other judge' on Strictly Come Dancing
Craig Revel Horwood has claimed that there is "no other judge" on 'Strictly Come Dancing' because he is the only original one left.
Craig Revel Horwood has claimed that there is "no other judge" on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
The 60-year-old star has served on the panel of the BBC Latin and ballroom show since its inception in 2004 and even though he is now joined by Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, he believes that he "created" the show in the first place.
Speaking live on stage at the opening night of his 'Revelations: Songs Boys Don’t Sing' tour, he said: "There is no other judge. I created it. They are either dead or have been sacked."
The West End star was initially joined by the late Len Goodman - who died in 2023 at the age of 78 - and Dame Arlene Phillips, who was axed from the programme in 2009 and was replaced by Alesha Dixon.
Bruno Tonioli was also an original judge when the programme first aired, but he left in 2019 and is now a judge on ITV's 'Britain's Got Talent'.
Meanwhile, Craig is known for his acerbic demeanour on the show and admitted that he loves being able to "play the villain" despite the negative reactions he often gets from the studio audience.
"I get booed heavily but I enjoy playing the villain."
However, Craig has previously admitted that he has had to tone the act down in recent years out of fears that he could be "cancelled" by viewers.
He said: "I was really harsh 20 years ago. When I look back, I think, ‘Ooh, that’s cutting’.
“It would now be classed as bullying, and then I’d be cancelled."
Craig has also enjoyed major success in the theatre and wants to keep doing that but has "no intention of quitting" 'Strictly' because he thinks it is a "fantastic" job to have/
He told The Daily Mirror newspaper: "I have no intention of quitting because it’s a fantastic Saturday job that I intend to do into my 80s, as long as I’m still compos mentis, darling!
"And if I haven’t been cancelled before then! But what would I do if I weren’t doing it? Remain a director - I love directing musicals, I would love to direct TV and film. I have choreographed movies like 'Paddington 2', for instance, which I really loved.I’m not just going to retire and just weed the garden."
