SAD NEW: Strictly’s star opens up on health scare and admits “I could have d!ed”
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood opened up on how he suffered a severe allergic reaction to a beauty product
Craig Revel Horwood claims ‘I could have d!ed’ (Image: BBC/Guy Levy)
Strictly icon Craig Revel Horwood is known for his acid-tongue comments with the show’s contestants. He is the only judge who has been on the panel since the show began in 2004 and has proved a hit with TV audiences.
The TV star is known to be close with fellow BBC judge Anton du Beke, and on a recent episode of their podcast, Judgemental, he revealed how a painful beauty regime left him suffering an allergic reaction.
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig realised that he was allergic to chemical compound PPD (p-phenylenediamine), which features in many hair dyes. The 61-year-old suffered an anaphylactic shock after dying his beard, scuppering his dream of one day dyeing his barnet blond.
The chemical is regularly used for permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes, supposedly to provide a long-lasting and natural-looking colour. On the other hand, it can also be a powerful allergen, reports the Daily Mirror.
Craig realised he had a severe allergy (Image: BBC)
Craig told Anton: “I had a terrible, allergic reaction to hair dye. It was bad. I ended up in hospital. Anaphylactic shock. I could have d!ed. It’s true.”
The dancer went on to say that he left the product in his facial hair for three minutes before having a bad reaction.
It subsequently started releasing pus and that carried on for three weeks “all the way down my chest”, according to Craig. It necessitated him sitting up in bed and wearing a bib.
Craig continued: “There’s a lot of people that are actually allergic to it. You have to do a test before you put it on just to see if you have a reaction to it, but I had a really bad reaction.
“So dye, I’m afraid, is out for me. And even semi-permanent, they have some of that PPD in it. It was awful, it was horrible. So I can’t dye my hair.”
Craig Revel Horwood (Image: BBC)
It comes after Craig made a defiant vow after Strictly’s huge shake-up. Long-serving presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped aside at the end of the last series, and they have been replaced by Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe.
Despite the big changes, Craig says he has no plans to go anywhere. He told the Mirror: “They’ll have to drag me by whatever hair I have left, kicking and screaming, I love it, it’s become a big part of my life now. It’s the best Saturday job ever.”
He also paid an emotional tribute to former head judge Len Goodman, following his death in 2023 at the age of 78. Len starred on Strictly from 2004 to 2016.
Craig said: “I miss him from the bottom of my heart. Whenever I hear the Strictly theme music, I always think of Len Goodman and Bruce Forsyth.
“Because Len created Strictly. Without Len, I don’t think the show would have survived. He was a master at his craft. He was a comedian.”
