Craig Revel Horwood brands Strictly scandal 'a shock' as he gives prediction on show's future

ok.co.uk:

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has broken his silence on the recent misconduct allegations surrounding the show.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, he expressed his shock at the claims against Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, saying: "I'm just finding out [about the allegations], like everybody else, through the press." He went on to explain that the judges are kept separate from the rest of the company, only coming in on Saturdays to judge the performances. "For me it's a shock, and news to me, because the judges are never present at any of the teaching, we literally come in on a Saturday and just judge what we see before us. " Craig who said it's "complete news" to him added: "Every day that I read about something I think 'that can't be right', so I'll wait and see what happens with the investigations, but certainly we have nothing to do with that." Despite the controversy, Craig remains optimistic about the future of Strictly.

He said: "I don't think so because it's one of those shows that belongs in the people's hearts that are at home who love dancing, and there's nothing better than seeing someone come from nothing and work hard and move up to being absolutely phenomenal.” He also voiced his support for the BBC's plans to implement stricter duty of care rules, including hiring chaperones for celebrity training sessions.

This comes as Strictly celebrities continue to voice complaints about their time on the show, with the BBC potentially facing a £1million personal injury bill.This week, professional dancer Graziano, 30, admitted to kicking his celebrity partner Zara McDermott, 27, during rehearsals for the 2023 show - for which he was recently sacked over by the BBC.