Craig Revel Horwood wants Alan Carr for Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has been a part of the show ever since it first started, so he has strong opinions on casting celebrities. With the 2024 series just a few months away, Horwood thinks Alan Carr would be a great choice.

The 47-year-old comedian has been heavily rumoured to have signed on for this year's edition of the dancing competition. And for Horwood, that would be a very good thing indeed.

In an interview with The Sun, the 59-year-old judge said Carr would be a "brilliant" member of the cast if he were to take to the ballroom this year. But he loves the variety of potential contestants still out there, even after 20 years.

"We haven’t explored a lot of the communities. You know like, leading fashion designers, we haven’t had one of them on the show," said Horwood. "I’m just throwing ideas out there. We haven’t had a prima ballerina take part, for instance, like Sylvie Guillem. Yeah we’ve had Darcey Bussell on the judging panel but we haven’t had people like that."

Horwood added: "That’s the beauty about Strictly that it crosses all different communities and teaches other communities about that community, you know? So I think there’s so many different ways to go with it. I mean it’s been 20 years, and we will never, ever run out of celebs for Strictly."

The judge explained that he and the rest of the panel love embracing different communities because they have to adapt their own judging for contestants like 2021 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is deaf.

He added: "People that have lost a limb and are wearing a blade for instance, you know we can’t say ‘well, where were the heel leads, darling?’ because obviously they don’t have a heel. So we as judges have to adapt to the various communities as well and support that."

Horwood said that "any human being has rhythm in their body", which is "the important thing" in terms of whether to take part in Strictly.

Carr's name is thrown into the mix every year when it comes to potential Strictly cast members, and the star revealed in 2020 that he has frequently turned down the chance to compete when approached by show bosses.

"They ask me to do it every year, and I say no because it's too much like hard work," Carr told The Graham Norton Show. "I used to be able to slut drop, but I can't anymore. I'm at that age. I like Oops Upside Your Head because you get to sit down."

It's still a few months until we'll get to find out the Strictly Come Dancing 2024 line-up. But soon we'll know whether Carr will be in the running to win the Glitterball Trophy.

Coronation Street actor Ellie Leach and pro partner Vito Coppola won the 2023 series.

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