Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has revealed the real reason he would never do US counterpart Dancing With The Stars – and you’ll never guess what it is…
Outspoken Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood has likened himself to murdered Beatle John Lennon, in an unfiltered conversation with fans. His bizarre comparison came after declaring he would not join sister show Dancing With The Stars in the US, for fear of being assassinated by a deranged fan, like the Imagine singer, who was gunned down outside his New York apartment in 1980 by Mark Chapman.
Craig, 61, said: “I have never done Dancing With The Stars. No, thank God. I think I would be like Lennon and get shot. Don’t you think? There are so many guns over there darling, I don’t think I’d like to.” His revelation came at the launch of the 49-date tour of his new show Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing at Chequer Mead Theatre in East Grinstead on Wednesday night.
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Claiming he was offered the Dancing With The Stars job, he added: “I was put on standby as a matter of fact, when Len [Goodman] and Bruno [Tonioli] got it. But I am sort of pleased it did not work out. You have to make a decision in life, whether that is all you want to do. They were doing two [series] a year and I have a glittering career on the stage as a director and choreographer, so I did not want to give that up. Also, my directorial career was just taking off and I did not want to ruin that, as I love doing operas and those sort of things.””
No stranger to controversy, at the Wednesday night gig, he told 330 fans he had the BBC licence fee payers to thank for his lavish lifestyle. Owner of a £2m mansion in leafy King’s Cliffe, Northamptonshire, which he bought in 2021, Craig – who earns £200K a year from Strictly – said: “If I am ‘nice’ I won’t make any money, darling. But it has worked out rather well. I have got an eight bedroom mansion with a swimming pool. My dressing box at home is one room … thanks to all your wonderful TV licences.
“No, I have been very fortunate. I mean, Strictly has been brilliant as a Saturday job, but it did cast me as the villain, I suppose. But I love playing the villain in panto, as they always get the best numbers to sing. They get the best writing, best costumes and generally the villain is only on for 15 minutes of the show and you get paid a fortune.”
Craig also moaned that the cost of renovating his eight bedroom home had meant postponing plans to marry fiancé Jonathan Myring, 39. The pair have been together since 2018, after Strictly super-fan Myring met Craig backstage on the Strictly Come Dancing live tour in Nottingham.
Last year, Craig got the green light to build a luxury party terrace, complete with a spa and hot tub at his riverside mansion – despite opposition from neighbours, fearful of increased noise. He has also won permission for a large entrance hall, gym, master bedroom, butler’s kitchen, wine store and snug.
Craig continued: “We are still not married. We have been engaged for years and years and years. Something keeps stopping our wedding. I don’t know why. I think it might be to do with money as I am doing a renno [renovation].” When they do tie-the-knot, he hopes to enlist his friend, Aussie cabaret artist Alison Jiear, to conduct the ceremony, adding: “We will get married soon. We will do it when the house is finished. It could be 2027.”
One person who is unlikely to be invited is Spitting Image and Dead Ringers voiceover star, Jan Ravens, who was booted off during the early rounds of Strictly in 2006, when her jive with Anton du Beke failed to impress. Her husband, Universal Music vice president Max Hole, allegedly confronted Craig in the BBC bar after her elimination. Craig said: “Jan Ravens thought it was my fault that she went out. She came up to me when she got ousted. It was the audience that voted her out, not me thank you very much.
“She came up to me and said ‘this is all your fault’. And then her husband bashed me up at the BBC bar that night. Yeah I know. I went to the press the next day and it got me a lot of coverage darling.” Craig was more positive towards other Strictly stars,
He said: “Who are my favourite three celebs that have done Strictly? I am going to say the cricketer Mark Ramprakash. He was really bad until a Saturday. On a Friday in rehearsals he was a shocker. He did not remember anything, but on a Saturday night it must have been like being in a stadium. He switched on and was fantastic. I also liked Anne Widdecombe when she was dressed like Big Bird and she had to wear tights to protect her modesty. I also loved Alesha Dixon and Rose [Ayling-Ellis] and Giovanni [Pernice]. They were just gorgeous.”
Keenly awaiting the return of Strictly in September, complete with new presenters, for now Australian Craig is looking forward to touring his one man show until the end of June. He said: “I have just come back from Australia. I have been there for six weeks. I am so jet lagged. I am happy to say I will be returning to Dancing with the Stars in Australia next year too. They did not do it this year because of the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games or something.
“But I have been doing it for the last three years and we are doing it again next year. It allows me to see my family. My mum is 84 and she is still kicking on and going strong. She has had two bouts of cancer and won her battle. I am also working on a new musical, called NOW That’s What I Call A Musical. We did one about the 80s’ music but we are now doing one about the 90s.
“I always thought I would like to do Gypsy but ever since Imelda Staunton did it in the West End I don’t know whether I could do a better job. It has sort of been done. I love the story about a desperate woman wanting to be the star and she lost her life and gave it to her daughter, forcing her daughter into prostitution. It is right up my alley.”
*Tickets for Craig’s new tour, Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing, can be booked via www.craigrevelhorwood.com
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