Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood has revealed what it really takes for him to award 10 points.
Ahead of the season finale, the sharp-tongued judge appeared on BBC Radio 2 where he discussed why it takes him such a long time to use his ’10 points’ paddle.
Craig explained: ‘Well yes, but I was finding silly little faults. When people are amazing you start judging them professionally.
‘You know we’re not just dealing with an Anne Widdicombe or a John Sargent here, we’re dealing with people that can actually dance and dance almost as well as the professionals so I get very picky.
‘As a director and a choreographer I do the same thing. With my professional dancers I’ll say: ”Listen you’re little finger wasn’t quite right darling you need to fix that”.’
Strictly Come Dancing ‘s Craig Revel Horwood has revealed what it really takes for him to award 10 points ahead of the season finale
The sharp-tongued judge appeared on BBC Radio 2 where he explained: ‘When people are amazing you start judging them professionally… I get very picky’
‘For me a 10 is when I write nothing in my notepad and I’m completely at one and absorbed into the dance and I’m taken away from any sense of reality. That’s what a 10 means’ Craig said
Host Claudia Winkleman quipped: ‘We should get them a helpline,’ to which Craig responded: -‘That’s not a bad idea they probably do need counselling after I’ve directed them.’
Fellow Strictly judge Motsi admitted: ‘But I love that that happened with Craig this year, because there was a sort of intensity so that was actually the goal, that was the goal of the season to get that 40.’
Asked if he likes having that power, Craig confessed: ‘You know the truth is this, I am trying to give a 10 all the time but if I see a fault I can’t. And some things are perfect but not a 10, if that makes sense?
‘For me a 10 is when I write nothing in my notepad and I’m completely at one and absorbed into the dance and I’m taken away from any sense of reality. That’s what a 10 means. It means I have nothing to say except it’s incredible.’
During the show’s semi final last weekend, Layton Williams and his dance partner Nikita Kuzmin received a rare standing ovation from Craig.
They bagged a perfect 40 for the second week running, with the pair’s flawless Charleston meaning the twinkle-toed stars secured a place in the final.
The week before, Layton nabbed a perfect 40 for a mesmerizing Paso Doble, and once again got a perfect score this week for Charleston to Fit as a Fiddle by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor.
They first danced the Rumba to Lift Me Up by Rihanna, which they got 36 out of 40 points for, before leaving Craig gobsmacked by their Charleston.
Craig got to his feet as he gave them a very rarely-seen standing ovation for the routine as he clapped them, while Layton and Nikita looked very surprised by the strict judge’s praise.
Craig told them: ‘That’s the best Charleston that I have seen in 20 years.’
Layton is up against Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier in the race for the glitterball trophy.
