Craig Revel Horwood breaks silence on Strictly’s inquiry
Craig Revel Horwood has spoken out for the first time about the ongoing controversy surrounding Strictly Come Dancing.
The ballroom dancer is best known to viewers as one of the four judges on Strictly, having been with the BBC series since it launched in 2004.
Ahead of its 20th anniversary series this September, the show is currently being investigated for allegations of misconduct in its training rooms.
Claims were first brought by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni Pernice last December. Then, Graziano Di Prima was dismissed by Strictly earlier this month for misconduct towards Zara McDermott.
Now, speaking to BBC Breakfast earlier today, Craig has spoken of his shock regarding the allegations.
“I’m completely gobsmacked by the whole thing. Of course, I found out with the press because the judges are all kept separate from the contestants,” he admitted.
“The only time we ever see each other is when we are in passing going to the studio so you don’t really get the opportunity to know what happens in the rehearsal room. It’s not part of our jobs,” the 59-year-old explained.
Craig then went on to reflect on his own training being “tough”, detailing: “I had a Russian ballet teacher who used to have a cane and she would whack us with it… I mean obviously that sort of teaching wouldn’t be available today. Things have changed and come a long way in 40 years since I trained."
As the inquiry continues, the BBC has since announced that they will be implementing new protocols for Strictly, including that a crew member must be present in training rooms at all times.
When asked about the new measures, Craig responded: “Training everyone is different, what they learn they carry on into the training room. I think it’s a good thing they are bringing people into the rehearsal rooms, they are mediators.”
He added: “We have chaperones in the theatre all the time, especially with children and younger people. It’s a good thing to have a third eye on the whole situation.”
