Craig Revel Horwood has backed Anton DuBeke to be on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing panel – casting further doubt on Bruno Tonioli ever returning.
Bruno had been replaced by Anton on the panel when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions made it difficult for Bruno to fly between the UK and the US, where he is a judge on Dancing With The Stars.
But Craig is hoping the move is permanent.
Craig says: “I am so pleased he is a judge now finally. You know there are only so many years you can be on the front row with the dancing, then the second, then the third row and then the fourth and then the only place out of sheer death is the wing.
“I was pleased they got him off the dancefloor and put him where he belongs. So bravo Anton. I hope he comes back next year, I am sure he will.”
Bruno was on the show from the beginning in 2004 and was present for the first 17 series, appearing via video link for series 18 and then stepping aside for Anton last year.
Speaking at his All Balls And Glitter UK tour at The Point Theatre in Eastleigh, Southampton, Craig also said how being on Strictly had paid for his house.
He told the audience: “Strictly has been going for so long and it has won the hearts of 60 nations worldwide. It is the record books for the most produced format in the world. Thank you for paying your TV licences as I have got a huge manor house.”
And he said that Anne Widdecombe was his favourite celebrity on the BBC1 show.
He says: “I do laugh about Anne, I don’t care for her politics in any way shape or form or her hair cut. She could have put a roller in it. But we did dance together at the big arena tour which I choreograph.
"I got Anne to dance with me and it was hilarious. I wanted to teach this woman to dance. We brought the house down and got a standing ovation.”
He even raised the prospect of Brendan Cole potentially returning to the programme.
He said: “I love lippy people. That is why I sort of miss Brendan Cole. How is he doing on Dancing on Ice?”
Reflecting on his time on the show, Craig also told how he nearly turned it down.
“I was very uptight and stressed and my manager said I had to do it but I said “No. It sounds like car crash television. Celebrities trying to learn to dance in three weeks?” I thought it would never work and that it would be absolutely awful,” he says.
