Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood opens up about his rent boy past
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has opened up about trading sex for dance lessons as a teenager.
The out TV judge, now 51, revealed in his autobiography that he made money as a teen by performing as a drag queen and a sexual relationship with a ‘sugar daddy’.
Appearing on gay internet sketch show Here She Is, the dancer and choreographer opened up about his former line of work.
He said: “It is true… I sold my wares for dance lessons. That’s how I paid, that’s how I paid for my dance lessons.”
Asked what his going rate had been, he said: “It was a year of dance lessons, so add that up … and look at me now, darling!”
Speaking about it previously, he said: “I only had the one client – I do have certain morals! It was like the casting couch, so it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
“It was this man who was 43 and I was 17.
“He said I will pay for your classes but you come away with me and we do the dirty.
“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.”
The judge has been an outspoken supporter of permitting same-sex dance couples on the show, despite bosses’ insistence on a ‘traditional’ format.
Last year he conceded: “I was rather hoping for a same sex couple – I doubt that it’ll happen this year.
“But I’d love it to happen because that might put a spanner in the works.”
Former Strictly star James Jordan claimed that it would be “wrong” to feature same-sex dance couples on the show.
He insisted: “It’s wrong. I think they would lose so many viewers.
“I have nothing against same-sex couples, if they want to go and do their own competitions.
“But ballroom and Latin dancing is about a man dancing with a woman – that’s fact.
“It annoys me that people like Craig can say this because he’s gay. That’s the only reason he’s pushing it.”
