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Craig Revell Horwood Slams Len Goodman and Arlene Phillips

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Craig Revel Horwood, a judge on “Strictly Come Dancing,” made a harsh comment towards his previous colleagues Len Goodman and Arlene Phillips as part of an attempt to boost ticket sales for his upcoming event.

60-year-old star boasted about his own abilities and attributed the BBC show’s triumphs to himself alone, further implying that current co-stars Shirley Ballas (64), Anton Du Beke (58), and Motsi Mabuse (43) had little or no contribution.

In 2004, when the popular dance show first debuted, Craig was part of the initial judging team, joining Len, Arlene, and Bruno Tonioli, who was then 59 years old.

As a lifestyle expert, I proudly confess to relishing my role as the antagonist. Just as a potter molds a unique piece of art, I’ve crafted this character that, love him or loathe him, leaves an indelible mark. In the words of a famous saying, “There’s no other judge like me because I created the rules.” Those who have crossed my path are either history now or found new opportunities elsewhere.

In the month of April, 2023, Len lost his life due to bone cancer, a mere half-year after retiring, and on the eve of his 79th birthday.

For twelve extraordinary years, I had the privilege of sharing the stage with a remarkable partner on that captivating show. However, Dame Arlene, at the venerable age of 81, found herself unexpectedly stepping down in 2009 after five fulfilling years. Her place was then graciously taken by the talented Alesha Dixon, who is now 46 years old.

Craig openly confessed to the media outlet that he was attempting to boost ticket sales for his upcoming UK tour titled “Revelations: Songs Boys Don’t Sing” by criticizing the duo.

Adding: ‘I get booed heavily but I enjoy playing the villain.’ 

In a May 2023 interview on This Morning, a visibly emotional Craig opened up about the devastating surprise of losing two close friends, Len and Paul O’Grady, just weeks apart from each other.

He reminisced about delightful times spent with them and mentioned his sorrow, sharing that he’s currently playing Miss Hannigan in the latest stage adaptation of Annie – a character he had once portrayed alongside Paul before.

In March 2024, the television figure sadly passed away at the age of 67, although it was peaceful. His companion shared the sad news around 3am.

Reflecting on Paul’s final words, Craig confessed that it was difficult for him to take a deep breath.

Craig went on to mention that following their time in Edinburgh, he expressed his farewells and shared how much he had been enjoying the experience.

After working for two consecutive weeks, it was planned that we would alternate roles, but unexpectedly, we received the news that he had passed away. This shocking news was difficult for everyone to accept. He had expressed that he would see us all in Southampton, which was where he intended to go according to what he said in Edinburgh.

At the beginning of that week, we decided to dedicate all our performances to Paul. This came as quite a surprise to everyone in the company, including myself.

Despite our uncertainty about the outcome, we pressed forward with the performance, following the adage ‘the show must always go on.’ It was an incredibly emotional experience for us all, one that left us breathless and shaken due to the intense fear and shock we felt.

Recalling their recent experiences, Craig commented: “He found my Miss Hannigan quite glamorous, while his seemed rather downcast. What a fantastic guy! He was hilarious. He was adored and deeply missed.

Craig mentioned his other friend and co-judge on Strictly, Len, saying: ‘It was like getting hit twice… it was particularly hard on me.’

Len passed away at a hospice in Tunbridge Wells after a brief struggle with bone cancer, as Craig shared: ‘I hadn’t realized he was unwell, so his death came as an enormous surprise to me, and I imagine it did for him too… but what an exceptional man who revitalized ballroom dancing. He was simply extraordinary.’

After Aljaz Skorjanec, from Strictly, made a significant gesture, suggesting potential changes in his role on the BBC program, he subtly hinted at his future plans alongside his wife, Janette Manrara.

Thirty-five-year-old Slovenian dancer and his 41-year-old spouse, Jannette, relocated to their ideal residence in Cheshire about two years back, choosing to depart from London with the intention of starting a family.

Even though the property turned out to be exactly what they had wished for, the couple with a 1-year-old daughter named Lyra found themselves compelled to return to the southern region.

In their latest chat, the affectionate pair shared insights into their challenging experience. Aljaz, back on Strictly Come Dancing last year, termed the transition as extremely difficult.

He shared with The Mirror: “Relocating to a new place is typically something we’d prefer to avoid, and regardless of whether assistance is enlisted or not, the process itself can be quite challenging.

‘The reality is you’re going to be looking at cardboard for a foreseeable amount of time.’ 

Her comment was that having Aljaz back on Strictly and her own twice-weekly work commute during fall and winter made it extremely difficult to achieve a harmonious family lifestyle.

She mentioned that they experimented by having her travel to London for It Takes Two while Aljaz remained in London throughout the entire Strictly series. Looking back, they barely had any time together as a family due to their schedules being incredibly sparse.

On a weekly basis, Lyra and I would journey between places, often, and we’d stay in various hotels in an attempt to find success.

Besides suggesting, Janette implied that Aljaz expresses a desire to rejoin Strictly Come Dancing this season yet remains uncertain if he’s included in the 2025 roster.

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2025-04-06 01:19

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