He’s known and loved by millions for getting to the point. And midway through our conversation, Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood, does just that.
Talking about his upcoming tour, Revelations, he said: “This show is unlike anything I’ve ever done. People aren’t going to see ‘The Judge, Craig’. They’re going to see the real Craig. It’s about my life, it’s who I am. It’s the most personal tour I’ve ever done.”
The tour, which will start on April 4 and run until June 28 and will visit more than 50 theatres across the UK and can be traced back to his roots.
The star, who turned 60 last month, has become a national treasure after starting out in musical theatre. His first ever job was West Side Story, after taking singing lessons as a kid, in his native Australia.
Music was in his life throughout his schooling. “It just seemed to be a very natural journey for me to go into musicals. I just loved performing in them until I was 30. People don’t really know me as a singer because I’ve been in the background doing it, I suppose.”
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Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Other areas of his life took over. He became one of the UK’s best and most influential directors and choreographers, winning Laurence Olivier Award nominations for Spend Spend Spend and My One and Only. He directed the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and was invited to join the judging panel for BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2004. As of 2025, he’s Strictly’s only original judge.
The BBC hit show made him a household name as a stringent rule-follower who has dished out more low scores of ‘one’ than any other judge. Becoming famous for catchphrases – from ‘chah-chah-chah’ to ‘fab-u-lous’ – Craig has outlasted everyone. And yet there are many more strings to his diamante-encrusted bow, and singing is foremost among them. So when the opportunity arose last year to record an album of songs with the UK’s leading musical theatre record label, Westway, he jumped at the chance.
“I thought: ‘Come on, you’e 60. Do it.’ My mum’s always told me to get an album together, and do something. So I thought: ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’
“I grew up in the era before things were recorded – so there are no recordings of my earlier performances in theatre. No one had mobile phones and all of that malarkey back then. Now everything is recorded, no matter what you do, I walk out the hotel room, and it’s recorded by someone.”
Craig went into the studio and recorded Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing. It was a stunning collection of tunes that showcased a marvellous, emotive, pitch-perfect voice. His interpretations of such songs as Memory showed a discombobulating degree of warmth and empathy, Don’t Rain On My Parade cast him as the ultimate razzle-dazzle showman, while As Long As He Needs Me, from Oliver!, became a song that took on new meaning with Craig’s thoughtful tenderness.
Craig is understandably thrilled with the finished product. “Singing is such a liberating experience. Each song on the album means something to me. You know, the first ever musical that my mum went to see with the kids was Jesus Christ Superstar, so I’ve recorded I Don’t Know How To Love Him.
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“Waltzing Matilda is in there because I was born in Australia and when we grew up it was like a national anthem,” he laughed.
Craig’s show will be about much more than his favourite songs, of course. He’ll also tell stories about the part they’ve played in his life – and, yes, spoiler alert, there’ll be plenty of tales about Stories, from the other side of the dancefloor.
“I want to talk about the songs that I love and the reasons they are still with me and in my life. I know I’ve written three autobiographies, but my autobiographies were always about how I got Strictly. This show, for me, is strictly about music and my passion and love for it.
“That’s what drives my life and it’s just so nice to be able to get up there and sing and entertain people really because that’s what I was born to do.”
Many of the songs will be familiar to Craig’s fans – and will have a special place in their heart, just as they do in Craig’s.
“I wanted to do Memory, from Cats, because I was in that show, but I’d never get to sing that song because I’d obviously never get the part of Grizabella. It’s the same with I Don’t Know How To Love Him, from Oliver! It just goes without saying that I’ll never play Nancy.
“So the record, and the tour, gives me an opportunity to sing songs that I know and love. The show will be about my love for the music and how it’s affected my life. It’ll be about relationships, too, because we all go through the same emotions in relationships.
“I’ll be talking about that, and heartbreak, and where it can lead. Adele has proved how much emotion heartbreak can evoke, not just for singers, but for the audience, too.”
Craig will be joined on stage by the super talented musician, Ben Goddard, who fans will recall from their double-act on Celebrity Gogglebox. He can’t wait to hang out with one of his best mates, and is expecting plenty of laughter along the way.
“The tour will be the opportunity to have a good time along with Ben, who I love. I’ve worked with him quite a lot, either directing with him or we did a one-man show together, which was hilarious.
“For me, this is about the real Craig Revel Horwood, not the judge Craig Revel Horwood. It’s about my life before I became a judge, and then my life after being a judge, because that, of course, is the only thing that I’m famous for.”
Music is a universal language. We all have songs that we love – and for myriad reasons. In Craig’s case, listening to his selection of favourite songs, and understanding the meanings of them, helps us get to know him. So, for instance, My Way is a song he associates with his father’s death and is deeply personal.
“That was my father’s favourite song and I had to sing it when he died, just before Christmas, 10 years ago. And I’ve been singing that sort of ever since in pantomime, but it always reminds me of my father because that was one of his favorite tunes.
“So there’s a lot of emotion behind each one of the songs that I sing. There’s a lot of fun in there as well, because, of course, I have nothing really to do with Disney’s The Lion King.”
There will be other tributes during the show, including to The Vivienne and Paul O’Grady, artists Craig knew and admired. And, of course, there’ll be plenty of Strictly.
“It’s been Fab-U-Lous to have been there since the start. None of us could ever have believed it would become the phenomenon that it did. It’s been a huge part of my life and the reason that people know me. So yes, of course, I’ll be talking about Strictly – I don’t think people would forgive me if I didn’t.”
It’s no mean feat to be releasing a debut album at 60. At a time in life when many are slowing down, Craig is continuing to chase his dreams. And recording a debut record was foremost among them. He had to find his voice, in a sense, and work out how he wanted to deliver songs.
Having worked in musical theatre, where the objective is often to be loud and proud, he found the greatest moments were in a hush, where he lowered his voice to a more personal level. “Recording taught me so many things. It taught me how to be quiet, it taught me how to add more emotion into the sound of my voice as well.
“It’s not that I wanted to sound like Barbra Streisand or Shirley Bassey, but I had to discover who I was. Who is Craig Revel Horwood? What is his sound and what is his voice?
“I think a lot of artists come across that. Human League has a certain sound. Rod Stewart had the raspy sound. But I thought, what is Craig Revel Horwood’s sound? I think you can break more of the rules.
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“Singing is about having an amazing vocal quality, rather than a pitch-perfect voice. Dame Judy Dench once came on stage and she sang Send in the Clowns. No, she’s not a singer. She’s never been able to sing. But because of her commitment to the character, to the emotion, it came across brilliantly. That was one of the best renditions of Send in the Clowns I’ve ever heard.”
And now it’s time to hit the road. Craig will be completing a huge tour and can hardly wait. He’s more than happy to temporarily ditch the comfort of his judge’s chair on Strictly, or the comfort of a West End theatre, as he heads into the regions.
“The reason I love touring is that it takes me to the people and I get to see the country. It’s about that as much as meeting people and learning because, you know, in in certain areas, you’ll get different audiences.
“Every city and town has a wonderful theatre and we’ll be visiting those gems. I’m going to 53 theatres around the country in three months – it’s pretty full on. But it’s great, it’s fantastic, and there’s some places I’ve been before that I can’t wait to return to, and those places I’ve never been. I’m looking forward to it.”
You can find full tour dates at www.craigrevelhorwood.com
Source: Mirror
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