Last Updated: 13 November 2026
Craig Revel Horwood is back at the centre of the Strictly Come Dancing conversation this week, and for once it is not only his scores doing the talking. The long-serving judge has given his verdict on the show’s brand-new presenting team, defended a Halloween twist that turned the dance-off on its head, and found himself at the heart of a fresh debate about how harsh a Strictly judge should be. Interest in the 61-year-old has surged as the 2026 series heads towards its next live show on Saturday, 14 November.
Why is Craig Revel Horwood trending? Craig Revel Horwood is trending because he has publicly praised Strictly Come Dancing’s new hosts, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe, describing them as bringing “an extra oomph of energy” to the 2026 series, while viewers remain divided over his tough scoring on the most recent live shows.
Who Is Craig Revel Horwood?
Craig Revel Horwood is an Australian-British dancer, choreographer, theatre director and television judge, best known as the longest-serving judge on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing. Born on 4 January 1965 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1989 and became a British citizen on 20 August 2011. He has sat on the Strictly judging panel since the show began in 2004, making him the only original judge still on the programme.
Before television made him a household name, he had already built a serious reputation in the theatre, working as a dancer in Melbourne before moving to London. His choreography credits include Spend Spend Spend and My One and Only, both of which earned him Laurence Olivier Award nominations for Best Theatre Choreographer, and he directed the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Here are the key facts about him at a glance:
- Full name: Craig Revel Horwood — Revel is his middle name, not part of a double-barrelled surname.
- Born: 4 January 1965 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (age 61).
- Nationality: Australian-British; became a British citizen in 2011.
- Best known for: Judging Strictly Come Dancing since 2004.
- Theatre honours: Two Laurence Olivier Award nominations for Best Theatre Choreographer.
- Partner: Horticulturist Jonathan Myring; the couple have been together since 2018 and announced their engagement in April 2020.
Why Is Craig Revel Horwood Trending This Week?
There is no single reason. The biggest driver is an interview published on 13 November 2026, in which he gave his fullest verdict yet on the biggest change in Strictly history: the departure of long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, and the arrival of their replacements.
Speaking about the new presenting trio, Craig Revel Horwood was warm and strikingly positive. “I’m really loving this new season of Strictly, and I love the new hosts,” he said. “I think they provide an extra oomph of energy.” Josh Widdicombe is “very funny”, Emma Willis is “the ultimate professional”, and Johannes Radebe — known to viewers as JoJo — brings something no Strictly host has brought before. “He’s the first host we’ve ever had who’s an accomplished dancer,” he said of Radebe, who has moved from the professional dancers’ ranks to the presenting team.
Craig Revel Horwood was also honest about how strange the change felt at first. “Of course, it was a little bit tentative at first without Tess and Claudia,” he admitted. “It’s a jolt, like changing your family members.” But the new team has settled into a rhythm: “I feel like we’ve got over all of that, and everyone knows what they’re doing. Like all good relationships, it takes time to develop.”
At the same time, viewers have been arguing about his scores. During the live show on Saturday, 7 November, he handed out several eights, a five, and even a couple of fours, while his fellow judges scored the same routines far more generously. Some viewers called him harsh. Others praised him for being the only judge willing to mark honestly.
Breakout searches this week have also included questions about head judge Shirley Ballas and the future of the show, after newspaper reports suggested the contracts of all four judges could expire at the end of the 2026 series. Nothing has been confirmed by the BBC, and Ballas herself has said she is “100 per cent not leaving Strictly”.
Craig Revel Horwood and Strictly: A 22-Year Journey
To understand why he matters so much to Strictly, you have to go back to the very beginning. When Strictly Come Dancing launched on the BBC in 2004, the original judging panel was Craig Revel Horwood, Len Goodman, Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli. More than two decades later, only one of those four remains.
By March 2026, he had appeared in 23 series and 560 episodes of Strictly Come Dancing; the 2026 run is the show’s 24th series. No other judge comes close to that record. Craig Revel Horwood has seen hosts come and go, professional dancers retire, and the format evolve from a modest Saturday-night experiment into one of the BBC’s biggest entertainment brands.
Remarkably, he once feared the show would not last at all: he and the late Len Goodman believed Strictly would be axed “within weeks” of starting. Instead, the format became a global success — the original version of the Dancing with the Stars franchise. In 2010, Guinness World Records named Strictly Come Dancing the world’s most successful reality television format.
He is known as the harshest of the four judges, often greeted with boos and jeers from the studio audience when he delivers a low score. He has given a score of “1” more times than any other judge — ten times in total — including for Quentin Willson dancing the Cha-cha-cha in 2004, part of the lowest-ever total score of 8, the only single-digit total in the show’s history.
Yet the pantomime-villain act is only part of the story. He is also famous for catchphrases delivered with exaggeratedly lengthened vowels — “It was a complete dahnce di-sah-ster, dahling” and “Three words: Fab-u-lous!” — and for declaring a saucy routine “absolute filth — and I loved it!” Until 13 November 2021, when he tested positive for COVID-19, he had been the only judge to have appeared in every single edition since the show began.
The 2026 Series: New Hosts, New Twists
The 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing, which launched on 19 September 2026, is one of the most changed in the show’s history. The presenting shake-up is the headline change, but it is far from the only one.
Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe took over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman in the first change of main hosts in the programme’s modern history. Craig Revel Horwood’s verdict — that the trio brings “an extra oomph of energy” — is therefore significant, and he credits the show’s willingness to change as the secret of its longevity.
“I think change is what breathes fresh life into the production,” he said. “People’s tastes change every year, and Strictly is always keeping up with that. I think that’s what holds it at the top of its game, because it’s constantly moving with the times.”
The second big talking point was Halloween Week, when producers staged an experimental three-couple dance-off instead of the usual two-couple showdown. The twist also reversed the judges’ usual role: rather than voting to save a couple, the panel had to decide which partnership should be eliminated. Craig Revel Horwood described the atmosphere as “weird”, but said he would like to see the format return: “We’re used to saving people and getting a cheer, but it was tumbleweed, darling. I thought, ‘Oh, this feels a bit weird’, but I sort of liked it. Oh yes, please. You — out, go home! I love it.”
The experimental dance-off ended with the departure of Emmerdale star Lawrence Robb and his professional partner Jowita Przystał, following their Tango to Ghostbusters. Injury has also shaped the series: actress Jaime Winstone was advised by doctors to rest and missed a live show, with she and professional partner Carlos Gu receiving a bye through to the following week. Attention now turns to the next live show on Saturday, 14 November, and whether Winstone will be fit enough to return.
The Judging Panel and the Contract Questions
The 2026 judging panel is unchanged from the previous series. Head judge Shirley Ballas sits alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, a line-up the BBC confirmed before the series began. That continuity was deliberate: with the presenting team changing, keeping the same four judges gave the show stability in a year of upheaval.
Here is the 2026 panel at a glance:
| Judge | Role | On the panel since |
|---|---|---|
| Shirley Ballas | Head judge | 2017 |
| Craig Revel Horwood | Judge | 2004 |
| Motsi Mabuse | Judge | 2019 |
| Anton Du Beke | Judge | 2021 |
The panel’s future beyond this series has become a talking point. Newspaper reports in October 2026, attributed to unnamed sources, suggested the contracts of all four judges could expire at the end of the 2026 series. The reports also linked the speculation to Ballas’s guest appearance on the American Dancing with the Stars.
It is important to be clear about what is confirmed and what is not. No judge has announced a departure. The BBC has made no announcement about a resignation, and no replacement has been named. Ballas herself addressed the rumours directly in comments reported on 28 October 2026, saying: “I’m 100 per cent not leaving Strictly!” For now, the panel that viewers see on Saturday nights is the panel the BBC confirmed for this series. Rumours about Strictly judges have a habit of running ahead of the facts, and until a departure is confirmed openly, the contract stories should be treated as reports, not as news.
Why Viewers Are Divided Over His Scoring
If there is one thing Strictly fans love to argue about, it is Craig Revel Horwood’s scores. The debate flared up again after the live show on Saturday, 7 November, when his marking differed sharply from that of his fellow judges. He gave out several eights, a five, and even a couple of fours, while other judges were handing out far higher marks for the same dances.
Craig Revel Horwood was particularly unimpressed with two routines. Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby’s dance earned a four from him, as did John Nellis and Katya Jones’s routine. His only eight of the night came at the very end, following Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin’s routine, which helped them top the leaderboard with 36 points.
Some viewers called the low scores harsh, arguing that the celebrities had worked hard and deserved more encouragement. Others praised him for being the only judge willing to mark what he actually saw. That is the tension at the heart of his role: Strictly needs a judge who will say when a dance has gone wrong, even if the audience does not want to hear it.
Craig Revel Horwood has refused to soften his approach. Speaking before the 2026 series began, he made it clear that he has no intention of becoming a gentler judge, and that his famously sharp criticism is exactly what celebrity contestants need if they want to improve. He has also dismissed concerns about “cancel culture”, saying he is prepared to defend every decision he makes. His argument is a professional one: a judge’s job is not simply to spot mistakes but to help contestants understand why they happened and what they can do differently.
He is known for stringently applying the rules, such as marking down for an “illegal lift” when the lady’s foot leaves the floor in dances where lifts are not allowed. It is that attention to detail — the choreographer’s eye, rather than the fan’s heart — that makes his scores different, and keeps viewers talking every week.
How He Scores a Dance, Step by Step
Ever wondered what Craig Revel Horwood is looking for when the music starts? His marking follows a clear process, shaped by decades as a dancer and choreographer:
- Watch the feet first. Footwork, timing and weight placement are the foundation of every ballroom and Latin dance. If the basics are wrong, the score starts low.
- Check the hold and frame. In ballroom dances, the posture and connection between the partners must stay strong throughout the routine.
- Look for the rules. Illegal lifts, broken holds and timing errors are marked down immediately — this is where his reputation for strictness comes from.
- Judge the performance. Character, storytelling and chemistry with the music can lift a technically good dance into a great one.
- Weigh difficulty against delivery. An ambitious routine attempted well scores higher than a simple routine danced safely, but ambition alone is never enough.
- Deliver the verdict. The score is revealed with the famous paddle — and, very often, a one-liner the audience will remember long after the dance ends.
That method explains why Craig Revel Horwood’s scores so often sit below those of his colleagues: where another judge might reward effort and entertainment, he starts from technique. It also explains why a high score from him carries so much weight — a 10 from him means the dance has met the strictest standard on the panel.
Life Beyond the Judging Desk
Strictly may have made Craig Revel Horwood famous, but it is only one part of his working life: his theatre career has continued throughout his time on television, alongside music, writing and touring.
On stage, he has starred as Miss Hannigan in touring and West End productions of Annie, played the Wicked Witch of the West in the 2024 UK tour of The Wizard of Oz, and become a pantomime favourite as the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella and Captain Hook in Peter Pan. In December 2026, he is due to play Carabosse for the first time in Sleeping Beauty at the Bristol Hippodrome. He has also directed the UK tour of Strictly Come Dancing since 2012.
As an author, he has published three autobiographies — All Balls and Glitter (2008), Tales from the Dance Floor (2013) and In Strictest Confidence (2018) — and a novel, Dances and Dreams on Diamond Street (2020). In 2024, he released his debut solo album, Revelations, Songs Boys Don’t Sing, and toured the UK with a show of the same name in 2025, with further dates announced for 2026.
He won the BBC series Maestro at the Opera, conducting Act II of La Bohème at the Royal Opera House in 2012, and reached the final of Celebrity MasterChef in 2007. He was married to Jane Horwood from 1990 to 1992, and has spoken openly about his teenage struggles with anorexia and body dysmorphia and his difficult childhood with his father, Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Philip Revel Horwood. Since early 2018, he has been in a relationship with horticulturist Jonathan Myring, whom he met on Tinder; the couple announced their engagement in April 2020 while in Tasmania.
He is a patron of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, a cause close to him because his mother, like Queen Camilla’s mother, suffered from bone disease. In 2009, he and Queen Camilla danced the cha-cha-cha together during a school visit to mark National Osteoporosis Day.
For the latest on the 2026 series, including the leaderboard and who has left so far, read our Strictly Come Dancing 2026 guide and our who has left Strictly update.
The immediate future is simple: the next live show takes place on Saturday, 14 November, and all eyes will be on the judges’ desk once again. Will Jaime Winstone be fit enough to return with Carlos Gu? Will Craig Revel Horwood’s scores spark another round of debate? The answers will arrive live on BBC One.
The longer-term question — whether he and his fellow judges will return for a 25th series — has no answer yet, and the reports about expiring contracts remain just that: reports. What is certain is that his place in Strictly history is already secure: as the only original judge still on the panel, Craig Revel Horwood has shaped the programme more than anyone else behind the desk.
Whether he is handing out a four or a ten, praising a new host or defending an unpopular twist, Craig Revel Horwood remains the judge viewers love to argue about — and that, after 22 years, is exactly why Strictly still needs him.
What do you think of his scoring this series — too harsh, or exactly what Strictly needs? Let us know in the comments below, and share this article with a fellow Strictly fan.
How old is Craig Revel Horwood?
Craig Revel Horwood was born on 4 January 1965 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, which makes him 61 years old. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1989 and became a British citizen on 20 August 2011.
How long has Craig Revel Horwood been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing?
Craig Revel Horwood has been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing since the show launched in 2004. He is the longest-serving judge and the only original member of the panel still on the programme, having appeared in 23 series and 560 episodes by March 2026.
What did Craig Revel Horwood say about Strictly’s new hosts?
Craig Revel Horwood said he is really loving the new season and loves the new hosts, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe. He said they bring an extra oomph of energy, praised Widdicombe as very funny and Willis as the ultimate professional, and noted that Radebe is the first Strictly host who is an accomplished dancer.
Why are viewers divided over Craig Revel Horwood’s scoring?
Viewers are divided because his scores are often lower than those of his fellow judges. On 7 November 2026 he gave several eights, a five and a couple of fours, including fours for Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby and for John Nellis and Katya Jones. Some fans call him harsh, while others praise him for marking honestly.
Is Craig Revel Horwood leaving Strictly Come Dancing?
There is no confirmation that Craig Revel Horwood is leaving Strictly Come Dancing. The BBC has announced no resignation, and newspaper reports about judges’ contracts expiring at the end of the 2026 series are based on unnamed sources. Head judge Shirley Ballas has said she is 100 per cent not leaving Strictly.
Who is Craig Revel Horwood’s partner?
Craig Revel Horwood’s partner is horticulturist Jonathan Myring. The couple have been together since early 2018, met on Tinder, and announced their engagement in April 2020 while in Tasmania.
