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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jane Lavender & Charlotte Hadfield & Rose Hill

BBC Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood's rent boy past to pay for dance lessons

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood is famous for his strict critiques of couples performances on the dance floor.

Craig's comments and harsh criticisms, are often a lot more brutal than that of his fellow judges.

However, defending the feedback he gives to dancers in an interview, the Strictly judge said his comments are meant to help the dancers improve.

During the interview Craig also opened up about his own past as a rent boy which he said helped him to pay for his dance lessons, the Mirror Online reports.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood (PA)

Even the pro dancers take Craig's harsh criticisms to heart with Aljaz admitting he felt "broken" by Craig's comments.

Appearing on It Takes Two with his partner Emma Weymouth the dancer said the words had "broken his heart".

The pair had performed a flapper-style Charleston, which had been praised by most of the judges - apart from Craig.

He called it "lame" and host Zoe Ball questioned Aljaz on how he felt about that.

Craig Revel Horwood said his feedback is meant to help the dancers improve (BBC)

He said: "Honestly, as a teacher on the show it breaks your heart because you put hours and hours into every single second of the day and all you want to do is execute what you've rehearsed."

But Craig insists his feedback is meant to help dancers improve and in an interview he revealed his past as a rent boy so he could pay for dance lessons.

He told Timmy Alexis Carrington Ward on his Here She Is show: "That's how I paid for my dance lessons. It was a year of dance lessons so add that up darling."

Strictly Come Dancing 2019 (BBC / Guy Levy)

Craig was just 17 when he met a sugar daddy and says he owe the man his success.

He was approached by the man when he was living in Australia as a teenager.

He told Cheltenham Literary Festival: "He said 'I will pay for your classes but you come away with me and we do the dirty'."

Craig had been working as a chef, but says he hated it and credits the man with saving him from the profession.

But he insists he only ever had one client and has never revealed how much he was paid.

Craig said: "It was a year of dance lessons, so add that up.

"It was like a casting couch so it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

"I suppose that could be compared to a lady getting engaged and getting a great big, sparkling Tiffany ring - and then breaking off the engagement but keeping the ring."

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