Craig Revel Horwood sported an unexpected new style as he graced the Strictly Come Dancing floor for its 2024 series premiere.
The venerable 59 year old choreographer lit up TV screens alongside fellow adjudicators Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke on Saturday (September 14) night. The quartet of dance experts was on hand to greet the glittering new line-up for a special 20th anniversary kick-off extravaganza, reports the Mirror.
But it wasn't long before Craig's fresh beard became the talk of Twitter, now rebranded as X. Fans swarmed social media to praise his revamped image. On X, one viewer exclaimed: "Craig with a new look this year. I'm liking the beard on him."
Meanwhile, another social media user gushed: "Loving Craig with a beard! He reminds me of a top Hollywood star. Very professional!"
Echoing the sentiment, another added: "Loving Craig's new look.."
Craig teased his audacious new look on social networks before the pre-recorded show was broadcast. Taking to Instagram ahead of the much-anticipated launch, the BBC offered a sneak peek of Craig in his hirsute splendour alongside his esteemed peers, Anton, Shirley, and Motsi.
This edition follows a period marked by controversy surrounding the beloved programme. Most notably, the furore has involved two of its prime dancers, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, who have both exited the series.
Giovanni, who danced with star Amanda Abbington in the 2023 season, has rebuffed any allegations of misconduct during training sessions.
Meanwhile, Graziano admitted to inadvertently kicking his TV star partner Zara McDermott during last year's rehearsals. In light of this, the BBC has assured that it would address any grievances with utmost "care, fairness and sensitivity".
Yet, the full details surrounding these incidents are still shrouded in mystery.
The corporation's director general, Tim Davie, has offered an apology to those Strictly participants who've had adverse encounters. Commenting at the unveiling of the BBC's yearly review, he expressed his "disappointment" upon learning that several celebrity dancers had voiced concerns over inappropriate behaviour from their professional dance counterparts in practice sessions.
He reaffirmed the programme's forthcoming season but issued caution to professionals against straying into territory that's deemed "unacceptable". He stressed: "There will be a degree of competitiveness and will to do well, but there are limits and the line should never be crossed. We never tolerate unacceptable behaviour of any kind."
