Darcey wants to see the soft side of Craig
DARCEY BUSSELL has declared she hates Craig Revel Horwood’s cruel put-downs on Strictly.
In a rant about her fellow judge, Darcey admitted he makes her angry when he takes it too far.
Darcey, 49, said: “I am always cross with Craig for being mean. I am always shocked. I think, ‘How could you say it like that?’
“It is heartbreaking. The celebrities are fortunately all prepared for it. And it is always a lovely surprise when he is actually nice.”
Craig, 53, is known to millions of Strictly fans for his Mr Nasty persona. But since joining the judging panel, Darcey has tried to convince Craig to be nicer.
She added: “I think Craig has actually softened. I have done some work on him.
“The weird thing is that he is a big softie. He can be quite straight to the point, as we have seen, and backstage as well. But he is a sweetheart. He is a big teddy bear, actually. He likes a big hug.” Darcey is now in her eighth year on the Strictly panel, but she still lives in fear she’ll upset one of the contestants. She said: “However much I have got used to my role as a judge, it frightens me every year. It is a live show and anything can happen.
“I have had people cry at me. It is really tough as you don’t know what you are going to get from weekend to weekend. You don’t want them to feel deflated.”
Strictly celebrity Joe Sugg credits his professional dance partner Dianne Buswell for helping him overcome years of crippling insecurities.
He said: “When you’re growing up you always compare yourself to other people. I was shy unless I was in my comfort zone. But the show has really helped me with that. Everyone on Strictly is so nice and that makes you feel good about yourself. I never thought I would get this far.”
The 27-year-old social media star denied rumours he’s now dating Diane, 29. He said: “There’s nothing in it. If we were dating, everyone would see it. It would be very visible.”