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Craig Revel Horwood has said that Strictly Come Dancing has “a very happy company” since bringing in duty of care changes.
The BBC One series introduced chaperones to training rooms following a BBC probe into claims by Amanda Abbington about Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour in private rehearsals, which the judge said had been “working really, really well”.
Revel Horwood also shared his memories of meeting Liam Payne with Good Morning Britain, calling his death “super, super sad”.
What, how, and why?
Craig Revel Horwood has given an insight into how Strictly Come Dancing’s duty of care changes have affected the show, saying the introduction of chaperones has left the cast “very happy”.
The BBC One show brought in chaperones to training rooms this year after an investigation into allegations about Giovanni Pernice’s behaviour by his 2023 partner Amanda Abbington, and judge Revel Horwood backed the change.
He told Friday’s Good Morning Britain: “It seems to be working, we have that in the theatre all the time – when I was in Annie we always had chaperones. They’re always there to look after people if you’ve got a problem or if there’s something that doesn’t feel quite right you can go to someone and there’s someone to witness and go through it all.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing
“I think it’s working really, really well. We’ve got a very happy company and they’re a lot of fun which people can tell when they watch it on the telly.”
Asked what he had known about the bullying claims before the BBC report, Revel Horwood said: “I was shocked, number one. I was pleased the BBC did an investigation and I was pleased to actually hear the result of that. When there’s speculating going on, you really don’t know where to go and then the stories start flying wildly around. I just wanted to wait until the investigation and the report was done and of course that feels like a weight off my shoulders, I’ve got to say.
“And I just want to get on and celebrate the most spectacular and fun show over the last 20 years, that’s what we really should be doing. It’s a show families can sit down and watch together and it brings people together. I think people forget that, it’s a fantastic community tool to introduce people to the blind community, to the deaf community, Olympians, it’s great.”
Revel Horwood is the longest-serving Strictly judge and said he had no plans to leave the show: “I do want to stay, it’s like the best Saturday job ever, I absolutely love it. I get the front row seat to a fantastic show and for me it’s irreplaceable.”
What else did Craig Revel Horwood say?
The Strictly judge also shared his memories of meeting Liam Payne, who died on 16 October after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Revel Horwood had been on The Jonathan Ross Show at the same time as the One Direction star and told Good Morning Britain he was “adorable”.
He said: “31 is just no age and I just hate that. He must have been troubled, I have no idea. We don’t know the ins and outs. He was a lovely, lovely, lovely person backstage when Shirley (Ballas), Motsi (Mabuse) and myself were on Jonathan Ross with him, he was just adorable and he had what I considered a very bright future.
“Someone that young leaving the world so early before their life has come to fruition – I was 30 when I stopped dancing and then I changed my career entirely. I just think of myself at that age and the life he could have had ahead of him is frightening. It’s super, super, super sad and my heart pours out to his family.”
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV1 at 6am on weekdays.
