Craig Revel Horwood on this year’s Strictly contestants and why he wants Simon Cowell on the show, his latest venture and plans to retire
As Strictly’s resident bad cop judge he’s been dubbed ‘Mr Nasty’ by fans, but how well do we know the real Craig? Here the 58-year-old gives Woman the lowdown on his persona, why the show is fab-u-lous and his plans to retire.
Hi Craig, how are you?
I’m very well, but very busy. I’m doing Annie Monday to Friday, and then Strictly takes over on my weekends. It’s a little bit chaotic but I’m enjoying it.
What do you love most about returning to Strictly each year?
Just seeing how good people are. Every year it changes and gets better and better. People know what to expect now, so they come into it with the intention to learn to dance. And it gets very competitive, so it’s really good fun. I love the line-up this year, I think it’s great.
Which celebrity do you think will be the one to watch this series?
I think Nigel Harman will be one to watch. And I think Angela Rippon is going to be great – she’s the oldest contestant to date and I think she’ll just prove to everyone that you’re never too old, which is fantastic.
If you could get any celebrity on the show as a contestant, who do you think it would be?
Simon Cowell, I think that would be brilliant. It would be so much fun.
Former Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli switched sides and joined Britain’s Got Talent. Could you see yourself doing the same?
I don’t think I’ll ever be asked, but it’s certainly up my street because I sing, dance and act. I know a huge cross section of genres, so I think I’d be rather good at it. But I really love Strictly and I wouldn’t give that up.
So you never think about leaving or retiring from Strictly?
No, it’s great. I could do it in my retirement. It’s just a day job, so I think I could handle that. I mean, a lot of people when they retire get bored, don’t they? So Strictly would definitely relieve that.
How much of the Craig we see is the real you and how much is a persona of Mr Nasty?
Well, it’s my judging style, I suppose. A judge would act very differently in a murder trial than he would at home. So, of course, I’m different at home. When I’m up there judging, I wear the judge’s hat. For me, it’s a job and I’m there to be professional, so it’s completely different. You’ve got to be honest and tell the truth.
Does it ever get to you, being labelled as mean?
It’s only because I
