BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood floors viewers with 'sexy' new look
Strictly Come Dancing's longest serving judge Craig Revel Horwood caused viewers to swoon as he appeared on the new series with a new look. The 59-year-old, who has been part of the judging panel since the very start of the hit BBC show in 2004, was sporting a beard as he returned alongside head judge Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse.
Viewers were instantly distracted from the dancing action as Craig popped up. And host Tess Daly couldn't hold back from mentioning the new addition.
She told Craig 'I'm loving the new look'. Fans of the show took to X, formerly Twitter, to comment, with many saying they found the judge surprisingly attractive with his beard.
Read more Strictly fans 'deeply annoyed' as they make same complaint minutes into series
Saffron wrote: "Ngl I find Craig very attractive with his new beard." Stephanie commented: "Craig with a new look this year. I'm liking the beard on him."
Elemar echoed: "Craig really suits his beard! So looking forward to the new season of #Strictly."
Others were blown away by his resemblance with another huge TV star, commenting that he looked like X Factor star Rylan Clark.
Hypnotoad said: "Craig trying to turn into @Rylan." Betty agreed, writing: "Craig channeling Rylan … #Strictly."
Jackie Anderson echoed: "Oh, has Rylan replaced Craig on the judging panel? #Strictly." Soph said: "Bloominhell Craig Revel Horwood looks like he's brand new!"
Karis added: "seeing craig with a beard is so strange it’s not panto season yet #strictly." The new series follows a period marked by controversy surrounding the beloved programme.
Most notably, the furore has involved two of its prime dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, who have both exited the series. Giovanni, who danced with star Amanda Abbington in the 2023 season, has rebuffed any allegations of misconduct during training sessions.
Meanwhile, Graziano admitted to inadvertently kicking his TV star partner Zara McDermott during last year's rehearsals. In light of this, the BBC has assured that it would address any grievances with utmost "care, fairness and sensitivity" and is conducting an investigation into the claims.