‘Gobsmacked’ Craig Revel Horwood speaks out the Strictly scandal

Craig Revel Horwood has spoken out on the Strictly scandal which has plunged the show into crisis ahead of its 20th series. 

The judge, 59, who has been on the show since its inception, appeared on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday. 

Strictly has been engulfed by drama since Giovanni Pernice was suspended after his celebrity partner Amanda Abbington accused him of abusive behaviour, saying he was ‘cruel and mean.’ He denies the claims.

It was followed by Graziano Di Prima’s sacking last month over reports he verbally and physically abused Zara McDermott during rehearsals. Graziano has apologised for kicking his former partner and added other allegations do not align with ‘how he remembers it.’ 

Weighing in on the drama surrounding the show, Craig said: ‘I’m completely gobsmacked by the whole thing. 

‘Of course I found out with the press because the judges are all kept separate from the contestants.

‘The only time we ever see each other is when we are in passing going to the studio so you don’t really get the opportunity to know what happens in the rehearsal room. It’s not part of our jobs.’

Breakfast host Naga Munchetty, 49, asked: ‘Have you ever thought about how you train? I mean, obviously you have danced, and that relationship….’

Craig said when he was training as a young dancer his teacher would ‘whack us with a cane’ as a form of correction.

‘I know how I was trained and it was tough,’ he admitted. ‘I had a Russian ballet teacher who used to have a cane and she would whack us with it. Just so you’re not pulling up from the thigh doing a déboulés for instance to engage your hamstrings. 

‘I mean obviously that sort of teaching would be available today. Things have changed and come a long way in 40 years since I trained.’

Charlie Stayt, 62, asked if he was worried about how the complaints with affect the programme, Craig admitted he was but was pleased by the measures in place for the new series.

He added: ‘Training everyone is different, what they learn they carry on into the training room. I think it’s a good thing they are bringing people into the rehearsal rooms, they are mediators. 

‘We have chaperones in the theatre all the time, especially with children and younger people. It’s a good thing to have a third eye on the whole situation.’ 

It comes as Strictly was plunged into further crisis on Monday as backstage staff branded the scandal-plagued show ‘toxic and cruel‘.

According to The Observer, production workers at the hit dance series have alleged they were grilled on their ‘sex lives.’

One complained that ‘talented co-workers were treated with cruelty,’ while another added that the workplace environment on the show eight years ago was ‘tense, toxic, uncomfortable.’

One then told the publication how they had been subjected to ‘sexualised comments’ including queries about their sex life.

A spokesperson for the BBC told the publication: ‘The welfare of our crews working on each series of Strictly is always of paramount importance to us. 

‘We act speedily when any concerns are raised, and we have thorough, effective and longstanding processes to manage them. We do not recognise the claims relating to a negative workplace culture.’ 

Last week after Amanda claimed Giovanni was trying to block the release of up to 50 hours of ‘toxic’ footage’ following her bullying complaint to the BBC.

In an emotionally charged interview, the actress, 50, compared the dance show to ‘the trenches’. 

She told Channel 4 News BBC producers had been left ‘horrified’ by clips that also allegedly exhibited ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature‘.

The Sherlock star sensationally quit the dance competition last year citing ‘personal reasons’ before reports surfaced that she had demanded footage of her rehearsals after the experience with the show and her dance partner left her with PTSD .

Giovanni, who has strongly denied any threatening or abusive behaviour, was later suspended, with the BBC later launching a probe over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda as well as other celebrities .

Yet in a dramatic twist in the Strictly saga, the actress has claimed Giovanni tried to stop her legal team from accessing the video ‘evidence’ after producers were forced to put cameras in the dance studio after Amanda raised concerns.

‘There’s 50 hours of footage that’s being blocked. You know, 50 hours is a lot of footage, and a lot of time spent in a room that was toxic,’ she told presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

‘It’s out there. There is evidence out there of what happened in that room and I’m not the one who’s blocking it. I’ve said anyone can watch it, but he (Giovanni) doesn’t want anyone to see it, which is quite telling if he’s got nothing to hide.’

A spokesperson for Giovanni told MailOnline at the time: ‘We would urge people to wait for the review’s conclusion and not to pay heed to these very serious and defamatory allegations that have no evidence in support of them.’

The actress said that cameras were installed into her and Giovanni’s rehearsal studio after she raised concerns after the first week of practice with producers wanting to review the footage each week to assess what was ‘going on’ between the pair.

Giovanni had claimed he had asked for the cameras, which Amanda says is untrue.

‘So in the first week, I raised my concerns to the producers,’ the actress explained, as she fought back tears.

‘Giovanni said that he asked for the cameras, he didn’t ask for the cameras, I know that he didn’t ask for the cameras, because the producers came to me and said, “we’re going to put in cameras so we can view the footage at the end of the week and make an assessment and see what’s going on”. 

‘And then every Friday, after the next sort of five weeks, I would get the producer saying, on the Friday, ‘we just watched the footage back, we are shocked and horrified, we’re so sorry’.

‘That was to my face on the Friday when we would go in and do the camera rehearsal.’

Throughout the interview, Guru-Murthy, who also starred on the 2023 series, asked whether it was correct that Amanda had experienced ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’, with the actress holding back tears as she nodded in agreement.

‘Yeah. I mean, you know, one of the many things,’ she said, clarifying it was not harassment.

Ever since the claims first emerged Giovanni has denied all of the allegations, claiming to have provided a dossier of evidence to the BBC investigators and ‘remains fully confident in clearing his name’.

Disputing Amanda’s claims once again following the interview, a spokesperson for the Italian dancer said: ‘The BBC has shared the allegations they have been able to substantiate with us.

‘They do not resemble Amanda’s latest allegations, given to Channel 4, in any shape or form. Giovanni refutes any claim of threatening or abusive behaviour.’

After the fallout, Amanda said she did not hear from anyone at the BBC again, claiming: ‘I haven’t spoken to anyone from the BBC since Strictly.

‘No one from the BBC has reached out to me since Strictly, either through me or my lawyer.’

The bombshell interview comes as the flagship BBC One show continues to be rocked by a string of allegations, which saw Giovanni as well as professional dancer Graziano Di Prima step down.

Giovanni was accused of bullying by Amanda as well as two other, unnamed contestants.

Graziano was axed from the show after allegations emerged that he kicked, hit and spat at reality TV star Zara during rehearsals last year.