All Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood wants for Christmas is a house to celebrate in. The ’Mr Nasty’ of the glitterball says: “I’ve been living in a caravan for the last year and a half, because my house isn’t ready. I can only fit three people in it comfortably. Hopefully, my house is going to be ready – at least the dining room – because I have invited people over for Christmas Day.”
Engaged to horticulturalist Jonathan Myring, Craig, 61, has been living in temporary accommodation while renovating a historic £2million, seven-bed mansion in King’s Cliffe, Northamptonshire, which he bought in 2021. He says: “People have been so generous with me over the time that I’ve been renovating my property. They’ve invited me into their homes.”
Making a few additions to his Christmas list, he continues: “A removal service to help me move into my home. I’d love someone to buy me a tennis court, that’d be nice, but that’s not on the cards anytime soon.”
Once settled into his house, he wants to repay people’s hospitality, saying: “For people that haven’t got a home or are struggling to find somewhere to go for Christmas, I always say, ‘please come to my house’.” Craig, who basked in 40 degree heat during the festivities until he moved to the UK from his native Australia, aged 23, says: “All our chocolates and stockings melted.”
But one constant in his life – and that of the nation – for the last 22 years in the countdown to Christmas has been the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. The only original judge remaining on the show, he says: “Like panto, Strictly is home for me at Christmas. It’s like the ritual of putting the Christmas tree up, isn’t it? It’s that thing. When Strictly does start, it feels like, ‘oh wow, it’s going to be Christmas soon.’”
Very much the panto villain of the Strictly family, he says: “I’ve been in everyone’s front living room for 22 years. So people are very familiar with me – whether they love or hate me on the programme. There’s something quite homely about that and something comforting.”
Drawing in up to 5 million viewers for its 2026 run, Craig is keen to explain Strictly’s success, saying: “It’s won the hearts and minds of the nation.The three-year-olds and the 93-year-olds all love it.” And he sings the praises of the new presenting team, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.
Keenly defending the new format, which has received some criticism from fans, he says: “I really love the presenters. I think the new series is great, too. I love it. Every year it’s completely different for me, because there’s different celebrities. And every year someone will say, ‘oh, I don’t know who that YouTuber is,’ because they’re of another generation.
“But people fall in love with them and celebrate and that’s the beauty of it. It’s about community. It’s about getting people talking, reacting together and giving people a common ground on which to form a conversation.”
Craig is speaking after turning on the Christmas lights in Grey Street, Stalybridge, east Manchester, as part of a community campaign with Fox’s biscuits. He says: “My three times great-grandfather was born here. Ashton-under-Lyne, just next door, is where he started his clog dancing career. He was born in 1840, right round here. He then went to Australia of his own accord, unlike my other great-great-great-grandfather who was a convict.”
Craig discovered his relative’s dodgy past when he appeared on Who Do You Think You Are in 2017 and was told that Moses Horwood had been a petty criminal from England, convicted at the Gloucestershire Assizes and transported to Van Diemen’s Land – present day Tasmania – in 1841.
But his Ashton grandfather was Harry. He continues: “My clog dancing grandad was called Harry Shaw. He named his son, who was born in Australia, Harry Shaw as well, so it was Harry Shaw Jr. And it was that Harry that became Australasian clog dancing champion in 1871.”
Remarking at how local people have come together to admire the 20,000 strong light display on Grey Street, he says: “Community spirit is a good thing. Christmas can be a very lonely time for some people, so it’s nice to try and alleviate that.”
For the past 20 years, Craig has starred in Christmas pantos and he will be playing the vengeful villain, Carabosse, in Sleeping Beauty at the Bristol Hippodrome this year. He says: “I’ve never been lonely, because I do panto. In fact, I’m wishing to be lonely! Two thousand 200 screaming kids a day, just give me at least two hours’ respite.”
When he does get a break, he likes to plan. Craig says: “I have two hours between shows every day, I have quite a bit of time in my dressing room to think about what gift I might want to buy someone, so I enjoy that part of it – trying to find something quirky.”
And he thinks about his bucket list, revealing roles he would love to play one day. He says: “Mama Rose from Gypsy. I would love to play her. I would also love to play King George in Hamilton. They told me I was too old. I might have to have some work done. I might have to have Botox before I go for the audition. I got a face-lift because I want to play King George.”
But Craig, whose debut album Revelations, Songs Boys Don’t Sing was released in 2024, has no plans to release another record any time soon. He says: “I’m going to wait until I’m 70 to release my next one!”
And, despite his extravagant wishlist, he admits he’s already found a priceless present. He says: “The best gift I’ve ever been given is the gift of love. When someone says that they love you. Honestly, you don’t need anything else.”
*Fox’s Biscuits is giving one lucky homeowner the chance of a festive makeover, designed to transform their property into a show-stopping Christmas wonderland. Please see entry details HERE
