Strictly Come DancingThe BBC’s longest-serving judge has urged that despite all the controversy surrounding the BBC show, dancers remain strict with their celebrity partners so that the series does not become “watered down and trite”.
Dancer and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood, who has been with the BBC show since its inception in 2004, spoke out amid ongoing controversy over allegations of misbehaviour by professional dancers backstage and in rehearsal studios.
In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Revel Horwood said about the celebrities who will take part in this year’s upcoming series:
“You just have to be able to take some criticism. Otherwise, we’re living in a world where no one gets criticized, and it becomes watered down and dull, where no one is trying.”
“I hope standards don’t drop this year.
“When I’m teaching casts for shows in rehearsals, I still have to be pretty rigorous. I think you have to be.
“Can you imagine an Olympic athlete winning gold without his coach being strict?
“As for saying, ‘Oh, that was really bad, you need to try again,’ I’m not going to cry about that.”
His words follow the departure of two high-profile dancers amid allegations of bad behaviour. Graziano di Prima was accused of kicking his partner Zara McDermott, something he denies, but he has since quit the show and apologised for his “competitive training regime”. The other, Giovanni Pernice, denies all allegations made against him by his partner last year, actress Amanda Abbington, and the BBC is yet to release its findings from an internal investigation into the matter.
The BBC recently announced new protocols for the series, including chaperones in all rehearsal rooms, something welcomed by Revel Horwood. He said:
“I think that’s where the chaperone idea is really good, because some behaviors can be misinterpreted.
“It’s something similar in dance. We speak a lot in French, so it’s jargon.
“It’s about learning a completely different language.”
He added: “However, I would absolutely not tolerate any abuse in a rehearsal room.
The 20th anniversary of Strictly Come Dancing will be released in the coming weeks, with this year’s lineup already announced.
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