Strictly Judge Craig Revel-Horwood
What are you most looking forward to for the new Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special this year?
Well, I love the festivity of it all. I love the decorations. I love the fact that we have Christmas costumes, it gets you right in the mood and it’s lovely to sit down and watch it at home.
What did you love about last years’ Christmas Special?
Everything in the above answer really, the festivity and the decorations!
What is your favourite Christmas song to dance too?
Oh my own Christmas single of course! ‘It’s Christmas, Merry Christmas.’
Who is the naughtiest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
The naughtiest, oh I’d definitely say Anton Du Beke!
Who is the nicest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
Craig Revel-Horwood is the nicest…by far!
How do you decorate your home at Christmas?
I have a beautiful tree and I put all the gifts underneath it traditionally. And then just a few objects around the house, but nothing major.
What has been your favourite Christmas outfit you’ve worn over the years?
Oh, the snowflake on the Christmas Special. I was a spinning snowflake.
If you could have one Christmas wish, what would it be?
To win the lottery! [laughs], no my wish would be to live a long and happy life.
When do you put your Christmas tree up?
In December.
Quick fire round
Sprouts or Pigs in Blanket? Pigs in Blanket
Real Tree or Fake Tree? Fake Tree
Christmas Stocking or Christmas Sack? Christmas Sack
Rudolph or Prancer? Rudolph
White lights or Colourful Lights? White lights
Dinner at Home or Dinner Out? Dinner at Home
Turkey or Goose? Turkey
Sparkles or Sequins? Sparkles
Miracle on 34th Street or Elf? Elf
Mariah Carey or Michael Buble? Mariah Carey
Santa’s Elves or Santa’s Little Helpers? Santa’s Elves
Christmas Snow or Christmas Sunshine? Both, I like Christmas in Australia because I was born in Australia, so that’s that sunshine!
Anton Du Beke
What are you most looking forward to for the new Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special this year?
I can’t wait to see who’s on it! I have to tell you, the Christmas special is my favourite show of the series. But then I love Christmas, so it’s perfect for me.
What did you love about last years’ Christmas Special?
I enjoyed Larry Lamb’s American smooth with Nadiya! That was a perfect bit of Christmas right there.
What is your favourite Christmas song to dance too?
Either It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas, or It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
Who is the naughtiest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
Craig is definitely the naughtiest!
Who is the nicest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
I’m the nicest!
How do you decorate your home at Christmas? An abundance of trees!
We like to have a few, well, I do anyway. I love Christmas trees. Different trees in different rooms have different themes and colours.
What has been your favourite Christmas outfit you’ve worn over the years?
When I danced with Ann Widdecombe on the Christmas special we were dressed in frocks, … that was my favourite!
If you could have one Christmas wish, what would it be?
Peace on Earth! Tell Father Christmas I already have a bike, so I’d like peace now.
When do you put your Christmas tree up?
Normally the first week of December, but it’s a timing thing because by the time you get to Christmas it’s literally just twigs in a bucket isn’t it? Although,the needles fall less now, but once upon a time, if you brushed past it, it would just shed all over you! So, first week of December as long as we can get one the needles don’t fall off of!
Quick fire round
Sprouts or Pigs in Blankets? Sprouts.
Real Tree or Fake Tree? Real!
Christmas Stocking or Christmas Sack? Stocking.
Rudolph or Prancer? Prancer.
White lights or Colourful Lights? Depends on the room!
Dinner at Home or Dinner Out? Dinner at home.
Turkey or Goose? Turkey.
Sparkles or Sequins? Sparkles.
Miracle on 34th Street or Elf? Miracle on 34th Street.
Mariah Carey or Michael Buble? Michael Buble.
Santa’s Elves or Santa’s Little Helpers? Elves.
Christmas Snow or Christmas Sunshine? Snow.
Strictly Head Judge Shirley Ballas
What are you most looking forward to for the new Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special this year?
The Christmas show is always so uplifting, and I think it’s beautiful we give millions of families something to enjoy on Christmas Day. I am most looking forward to getting in the Christmas spirit with my fellow judges, seeing a brand new cast take to the floor and listening to some fabulous Christmas songs – there’s some great Christmas tunes out there to dance to!
What did you love about last years’ Christmas Special?
I loved how exciting and heart-warming the show was. Having six brand new celebrities dance in our ballroom was a real Christmas treat. I’ll remember George Webster & Amy Dowdens’s Charleston forever and I thought Alexandra Mardell & Kai Widdrington’s Quickstep was just overwhelmingly joyous. And, of course, having my dear friend Bruno sing in the ballroom was remarkable!
What is your favourite Christmas song to dance too?
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree is a song that always gets me up dancing.
Who is the naughtiest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
Well, I think I’d have to say Anton Du Beke is the naughtiest judge. I’ve known Anton for over 35 years and he really is the nicest gentleman, but he is forever playing pranks backstage and on tour. He’s a mischief maker!
Who is the nicest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
They are all so nice… but I’d definitely love a little Motsi Mabuse in my Christmas stocking – she is a Christmas queen and even Craig really is a beautiful soul. He is always the first to send me flowers on my birthday.
How do you decorate your home at Christmas?
At Christmas, I like my house to feel warm and cosy. I love to have multiple trees – one in the lounge, one in the dining room and one at the bottomof the stairs. My stairs are decorated with beautiful green garlands and I have two golden reindeers and a big nutcracker that make an appearance. My mother also has tons of beautiful decorations that she digs out the attic and sprinkles around the house.
What has been your favourite Christmas outfit you’ve worn over the years?
I remember going as the Fairy Godmother for my second Christmas special in 2018. That was fun.
If you could have one Christmas wish, what would it be?
Good health and happiness for all my family and friends.
When do you put your Christmas tree up?
As soon as I can! This year I put it up in the middle of November. I like to get it up and then I can try to relax and enjoy the Christmas period with friends and family
Quick fire round
Sprouts or Pigs in Blanket? Sprouts
Real Tree or Fake Tree? Fake Tree
Christmas Stocking or Christmas Sack? Christmas Sack
Rudolph or Prancer? Rudolph
White lights or Colourful Lights? White lights
Dinner at Home or Dinner Out? Dinner at Home
Turkey or Goose? Turkey
Sparkles or Sequins Sequins
Miracle on 34th Street or Elf? Miracle on 34th Street
Mariah Carey or Michael Buble? Michael Buble
Santa’s Elves or Santa’s Little Helpers? Santa’s Little Helpers
Christmas Snow or Christmas Sunshine? Christmas Snow
Motsi Mabuse
What are you most looking forward to for the new Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special this year?
It’s always beautiful for the Christmas special because it really puts you in that Christmas spirit. And the last dance for the main show has happened so it’s more relaxed and it’s all about the Christmas period and having fun, so that’s what I’m looking for. I always cry on the Christmas show because it’s family time.
What did you love about last years’ Christmas Special?
The way they turned that studio into a Christmas magical paradise is incredible and for every number. It just felt like we’d been whisked away somewhere else, that’s what I love, the creativity behind it.
What is your favourite Christmas song to dance too?
All I Want For Christmas Is You, and I have a new one that I really love, love, love – it’s from Sia and I absolutely love it.
Who is the naughtiest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
Yes, let me think…I would say Anton is naughty!
Who is the nicest judge/professional/presenter in the Strictly family?
Everyone!
How do you decorate your home at Christmas?
We go all the way, Christmas tree everything, it’s the only holiday we actually decorate. We rarely do Easter, we’ll just go on an Easter egg hunt. But we go all out on Christmas – it is the one we don’t save on is Christmas.
What has been your favourite Christmas outfit you’ve worn over the years?
They’re always red, right? I’m going to say last year!
If you could have one Christmas wish, what would it be?
I would wish for world peace.
When do you put your Christmas tree up? We’re probably going put it up on the 30th of November, because we’ll be together and it’ll be a family day, we’ll put it up and it’ll be lovely.
Quick fire round
Sprouts or Pigs in Blanket? Pigs in blankets. Oooh Sprouts!
Real Tree or Fake Tree? Real tree.
Christmas Stocking or Christmas Sack? Stocking
Rudolph or Prancer? Rudolph
White lights or Colourful Lights? White lights
Dinner at Home or Dinner Out? Dinner at home
Turkey or Goose? Goose
Sparkles or Sequins? Always sparkles
Miracle on 34th Street or Elf? Miracle on 34th Street
Mariah Carey or Michael Buble? Oh wow that’s tough, Mariah Carey though.
Santa’s Elves or Santa’s Little Helpers? Elves!
Christmas Snow or Christmas Sunshine? Oh, that’s really hard. I’m going to go for Christmas snow. As much as I’ve spent most of my Christmases in the sun, I think the atmosphere comes with snow, I mean real snow not the Christmases we’ve been having the dry, awkward cold weather!
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day at 4.40pm
