November 26th 2024.
Craig Revel Horwood, one of the judges on the popular BBC series Strictly Come Dancing, has opened up about his past style of judging. In a recent interview, the 59-year-old admitted that his comments used to be quite harsh and even bordering on bullying. Since the show's debut in 2004, Craig has been known for his no-nonsense approach and has often faced backlash from the audience for his criticisms. In fact, he has given a score of 1 more times than any other judge on the panel.
However, Craig has now made a conscious decision to adopt a kinder approach towards the celebrities and their professional dance partners. "I have changed my style of judging. 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," he said.
Speaking about his new approach, Craig explained that he now tries to reach out and help the contestants improve, rather than just pointing out their mistakes. "It’s not fear of being cancelled. It’s just, how can I reach out to them and help them to improve, rather than just saying, 'This is wrong, that’s wrong'. I’m thinking more like a teacher than a judge," he shared with the Radio Times.
Craig also praised the current crop of contestants, saying that they are much more talented now than they used to be. "Back then, we had snooker players and politicians, and it was pretty tough on people who couldn’t dance. I was very direct. I do still say what’s wrong, but you can wrap the truth in a nice way," he added.
However, Craig made it clear that he has no qualms about being harsh when necessary. He firmly believes that he is there to judge and the contestants need to learn and respect his opinion. Over the years, Craig has faced a lot of trolling on social media, but he doesn't let it get to him. In fact, he joked that he has kept all the nasty comments and death threats and plans to shame the trolls in a book one day.
When asked about his most brutal quips over the years, Craig mentioned some memorable ones, like calling Ann Widdecombe a "dancing hippo" in 2010, telling Jeremy Vine that he danced "like a stork that had been struck by lightning" in 2015, and describing former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's dance as "limping about like you were lost at a party somewhere drunk."
In the midst of the recent abuse allegations surrounding the show, Craig expressed his hope that the standards wouldn't drop and the professional dancers would still be willing to criticize their partners. "You just have to be able to take some criticism. Otherwise, we’re living in a world where no one is criticised, and it will become watered down and vanilla, where no one’s trying," he said to The Sun.
Strictly Come Dancing continues to entertain audiences every Saturday at 7.05pm on BBC One. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, you can share them with the entertainment team by emailing them, calling the number provided, or visiting their Submit Stuff page. They would love to hear from you.
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