Craig Revel Horwood’s Rutland Life
Discover how Craig Revel Horwood, Strictly Come Dancing star, enjoys life in Rutland and Stamford, sharing stories of his career, debut album, and festive plans.
Silent night? Not a chance… as Strictly Come Dancing’s 21st series reaches its conclusion on 16th December. You can expect music, laughter and rapturous applause. No rest for the wickedly entertaining though, as local dancer, choreographer and singer Craig Revel Horwood celebrates the release of his debut album plus a lively Christmas and New Year before embarking on his 2025 album tour
The sound of Strictly hardly adheres to the idea of a Silent Night, with a glittery mix of music and dancing, rapturous applause and raucous laughter along the way too. “We’re having a real laugh actually, it’s a fantastic group,” says Craig Revel Horwood of the current cohort of celebrities, paired up with professional dancers.
“It’s been running for 20 years, and the format has been exported to 63 countries worldwide,” says Craig, who moved to the area three years ago. “I couldn’t work somewhere if the atmosphere wasn’t exciting and enjoyable.”
“Having choreographed Now That’s What I Call A Musical, which is running now and will continue to do so until April, I can say from experience that you only get the best out of people by creating an atmosphere that’s comfortable and enjoyable. That’s exactly what we have on Strictly.”
“Now That’s What I Call A Musical is terrific fun. We’re fortunate to have some amazing guest stars from Sinitta and Sonia to Carol Decker and Toyah… all of the names that you know and love from 1989 when the production is set.”
“It follows the story of Gemma and April, who are two school friends busily planning their lives based on dreams of snogging Rick Astley and reading Number One magazine. Then, fast forward your cassette deck to Birmingham in 2009 and there’s a prospect of school reunion, with all of the usual old flames and old friends appearing!”
“It’s had some very good reviews and it’s very funny, a real time capsule from an era when you’d record music onto a cassette off the charts, long before you couldn’t just Ask Siri to play what you wanted to hear!”
“Theatre was my first love, but Strictly is a very different prospect altogether; just as enjoyable but very different. It’s a huge effort to pull everything together as you’d expect from a show that’s ambitious, technically complex, and so popular. It all begins on the day the new range of celebrities are revealed, and genuinely I only hear about them about an hour before the press are told. I have to start doing press interviews almost immediately so all I really have to go on is their biographies.”
“Throughout the series there are press interviews and the recording of companion show It Takes Two, but the actual show sees me arriving at Elstree Studios for about midday, ready to go live at 6.30pm that evening. Not having too much knowledge of the celebrities in advance is nice, because it means I get a little of the enjoyment that the live audience and the viewers watching at home experience. You get to know them, form opinions and then watch them grow, that’s the delight of the programme.”
“It’s genuinely hard work for the competitors. They’re up at six in the morning, and arrive at the studio soon after. Interviews, filming inserts and rehearsals is a constant. It’s busy and it’s hard work but it’s also mentally draining too as learning something new – especially in such a short space of time and to such a high standard – really does require a lot of concentration.”
“The celebrities really do take on board the professionals’ help and you see them genuinely improving week after week. You also see their confidence growing and you get to see the relationship develop between that year’s dancers and professionals. To say that it’s ultimately a competition, there are few other examples of ‘rivals’ wanting so much for success for each other and cheering each other on so much!”
“It’s joyous when people like Wynne, Paul and Chris bring their personalities to the show and impart lots of humour into the format, bringing some really good one-liners to Saturday night. It’s just a joy to watch and a joy to be a part of it.”
In previous years Craig has been involved with Strictly until mid-December, and then embarked on pantomime season before taking it a little easier in the spring and summer months.
Born in Ballarat in Victoria, Australia, and with family still over on the sunnier side of the world, Craig normally gets to see family and friends during what tries to pass itself off as our summer. However this year there’s a big birthday to celebrate and the refurbishment of Craig and partner Jonathan’s house to finish off. So instead, the couple are deferring Craig’s birthday celebrations until July when his family can visit him here.
Before that though, Craig will divide his time between the touring musical and Strictly, but he took a couple of days out mid-October to speak to us a couple of days before the launch of his debut album, Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing.
“It’s quite a momentous occasion for me as people don’t know me as a singer, even though it’s been a part of my work on stage throughout my career. I really enjoy singing and wanted to challenge myself to release something different, with the music I love.”
“The album’s name comes from the fact that it features songs from the theatre that, normally, only leading ladies perform. Each of the 14 tracks on the album mean something to me and they all genuinely resonate with my life.”
“It’s been a challenge too, because the vocal ranges are so big. They’re very different to the songs men sing in theatre as there are some very low lows, but also very high highs.”
This Is My Life, was the song that Craig selected from Shirley Bassey’s titular album of 1968 and it has already been released as a single. Other tracks that really resonate with Craig though include the Lionel Bart-penned As Long As He Needs Me from the musical Oliver! and Memories from Cats.
Other tracks on the album are a celebration to the people that Craig has worked with throughout his career such as Barbara Streisand with whom he’s worked as an advocate for the World Osteoporosis Society.
From early April Craig will also embark on his first album tour, no fewer than 54 dates including venues in our area. “A lot of people are nervous about live performances, but for me, it’s the better option. I prefer it because we can’t stop and do it again. With pre-records you’re constantly stopping and doing it over and over again and you overspeak because of editing.”
“Recording an album, too, is totally different from a live performance and a bit scary but I had great fun doing it, recording it earlier in the year at Umbrella Studios in Soho. I had a couple of weeks off and recorded each of the tracks across five days. That’s pretty good going when some artists are working on an album recording for a year or two.”
“I’m looking forward to touring with the album as it’ll be a very intimate experience for the audience, with just myself and the pianist on stage. I’ll perform a few of the songs from the album that mean a lot to me and tell stories about them but also about how I fell in love with music and about my own musical journey. Funny stories, anecdotes and laughter, it’s all there and all designed to create a really good evening.”
As Strictly draws to its conclusion and before his album tour, Craig is also appearing at Milton Keynes Theatre as Captain Hook in this year’s pantomime, and then in January, the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour travels around nine of Britain’s largest venues bringing Strictly to the stage.
“It’s the busiest time of the year by far,” says Craig. “All of my commitments are either back-to-back or they overlap. Even when the Strictly live tour finishes on 9th February I’m flying out to Australia the following day to record their version of Dancing with the Stars.”
There is of course the small matter of Christmas and New Year in between too. Although, there’s a little time off, Craig is already committed to creating a festive dinner worthy of a TV cookery show, never mind one about dancing.
“Jonathan’s family are all coming over to ours as they live in Leicester, so there will be about 20 around the table. I come from a big family so I’m used to cooking for large numbers of people and I enjoy cooking. Christmas lunch for me is a proper traditional turkey with my own special stuffing and all of the trimmings.”
“I’m not a spreadsheet cook with all of the timings on a long list, but I’m organised in my own mind and I know what I’m doing. On Christmas Eve I finish a little earlier so I can come home and get all of the prep done.”
“Then it’s Christmas lunch and the King’s speech before presents,” he says “And an evening on the sofa!”
As for New Year’s Eve, it’s all round to Craig and Jonathan’s place for Champagne, cocktails and drag lasagne. ‘Drag lasagne?’ I asked, as if it wasn’t a self-explanatory concept.
“There’s a big dress-up box, plenty of wigs and frocks, then everyone has to help themselves both to the accessories and to the big dish of lasagne. Much fun and laughter ensues!”
Fun and laughter characterises the season for most of us, but Craig is certainly busier than most. Happily, when things do quieten down, there will be plenty of time to enjoy living in the area. After three years living between Stamford and Peterborough, locals are now used to seeing Craig and Jonathan in their village pub.
“I’m part of the fixtures and fittings in the area now, so I can happily go into the pub and nobody’s jaw hits the floor!” he says. “I really do love it here! I love the people, and I’ve made some really good friends in the village!”
For details of where Craig will be appearing live in Rutland and Stamford, see the full feature in our December edition at www.pridemagazines.co.uk/rutland/view-magazines?magazine=December-2024