Craig Revel Horwood on Strictly allegations: The show is beyond all that

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has said the upcoming 20th anniversary series will not be marred by recent controversy.

The return of the BBC One show this autumn follows allegations about the treatment of contestants in the dance competition.

Asked if the series would be marred by this, Revel Horwood told the PA news agency: “No. Strictly is beyond all of that.

He added: “That (the allegations) certainly has nothing to do with me or the judges. We go in on Saturday, (I) judge what I see and then I go home.”

This year’s celebrity contestants include DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, former England footballer Paul Merson, singer Toyah Willcox, and JLS star JB Gill.

Reflecting on the line-up, he said: “Every year I get excited by Strictly and the line-up is always different, so it’s like a whole new show for me. And I absolutely love it.

“I mean, why wouldn’t I? I’ve been there for 20 years darling.”

He continued: “Strictly is unique in the fact that it changes every year and it moves with the times. And has proved that.

“I mean, if you had have asked me 15 years ago that we would have an influencer, I’d say, ‘Well, what’s one of them? And what does an influencer do?’.

“What is great about Strictly is it encompasses every community and embraces every community, and that should be championed.

“May it live long and prosper.”

The 59-year-old has created the choreography for forthcoming touring musical, Now That’s What I Call A Musical, which will see guest performances from 1980s singers Sinitta, Sonia, T’Pau’s Carol Decker, and Jay Osmond, who will appear across different dates on the tour.

Revel Horwood said the 1980s-focused musical, which follows school friends Gemma and April as they embark on a school reunion, “is about encouraging people to sing along, have a laugh”.

Discussing whether he thinks audience members should be able to sing at the theatre, he said: “If you’re coming to the theatre, you have every right, if you know the tune, to sing along.

“You know, particularly in this, I mean, obviously you wouldn’t want to hear someone singing badly through Les Miserables, would you? But Do You Hear The People Sing? I think that is a song that can generate the audience to sing.”

It comes after a performance of The Bodyguard musical ended early after two unruly members of the audience were thrown out by security for singing the show’s famous track I Will Always Love You last year.

He added: “Times are hard and you’re spending a lot of money on tickets, you want to go and have a good time, and you don’t want to be slapped on the wrist and have to sit in your seat all po faced, do you?

“So I think, come along, have a great time and enjoy the music.”

Former EastEnders actress Nina Wadia, who stars as Gemma, said when she went to the Tina Turner musical “they very clearly said at the beginning, please, as much as you want to, don’t (sing)” until the end.

“I think it was important for that,” she said.

She added: “Decisions haven’t been made for our musical yet as to that.

“But truth be known, if I went to an 80s musical, I don’t know if I could not sing along.

“These are songs that are intrinsic to us, just generally, and I think it’d be hard for them not to (sing).

“But I think audiences are clever, and they will know the moments when the music’s been done slightly differently, to kind of let the actor do their job, and then to join in at the end.”

Singer Decker added: “With something like this, you are meant to sing along.”