Strictly's Craig Revel Horwood stuns viewers as he cries during live final
Hell may have frozen over, as Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood showed some emotion during the final episode of the season.
The 58-year-old TV judge is well known for his harsh opinions, icy outlook, and bitchy comments. But the 2023 final of the long-running BBC dance show seemed to touch the star - who has previously hinted he will retire from the series after next years’ contest.
Craig seemed to get chocked up after watching Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach, 22, take to the dance floor alongside her professional dancer companion Vito Coppola, 31. The audience gasped during the routine as Ellie and Vito attempted a daring lift - only for the soap actress to stumble at the top of the lift and fall forward, almost smashing her face on the floor - but Vito thankfully caught her at the last second, averting disaster.
There were fears the fumble would cost Ellie top scores - and she appeared immediately upset by the slip up and had to be reassured and consoled by Vito. But Craig seemed to be even more upset than Ellie as he judged her performance and reflected on the history of Strictly.
Craig Revel Horwood had to be comforted during the 2023 Strictly final as he became overcome by emotions (BBC)The judge thought back to the very first season of Strictly, which aired back in 2024, and he said that none of the contestants back then would have attempted something as daring as the move Ellie and Vito tried to pull off. He gushed: "I'm so pleased that you did take a risk. And I think back, actually, to series one and I was imagining Natasha Kaplinksy doing that and how far this programme has come.”
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Craig added: "You're amazing," and his eyes were noticeably full of tears - which prompted co-judge Motsi Mabuse to place a hand on his shoulder to support him. The unexpectedly emotional scene prompted many viewers to take to social media to share their own shock that the icy TV star had shown some feelings.
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One wrote on X/Twitter: "Craig getting choked up talking about Ellie is making me weepy again," while another added: "Craig getting emotional, wow." Another fan exclaimed: “CRAIG IS CRYING YOU GOT HIM ELLIEEEEE #strictly.” While others noticed that all the judges were overly emotional during the final, with one writing: “Have the judges all had some sherry before the show?! they're all crying their eyes out, even Craig had a little lip wobble.”
Indeed, the final proved to be a highly emotional night for all the judges - as well as contestants, fellow dancers, and audience members. There was barely a dry eye in the house when Bobby Brazier performed a dance dedicated to his late mother, Jade Goody, who died aged 27 in 2009.
Motsi Mabuse fought back tears while giving her feedback, while Shirley Ballas admitted she had been watching the soap actor's father, Jeff Brazier, 44, who was sitting in the audience opposite her as he was bawling with tears - as was his wife, Kate Dwyer, and Bobby's brother, Freddie, looked emotional too.
Tess Daly's voice wobbled as she addressed the judges following Bobby's performance, and Gorka Marquez could be seen wiping away tears as he watched from a balcony. Fans flooded social media with comments about the performance, with one writing: "What an absolute credit to Jade Goody and his father Bobby Brazier is. Absolutely lovely lad."
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