Book Review: Tales From The Dance Floor

Tales From The Dance Floor picks up where Craig Revel Horwood’s last book, All Balls And Glitter, left off. Craig tells the tale of all his major projects since 2009, which is quite a lot.

 

He’s not afraid to tackle controversy, and gives his take on various topics.

On Arlene’s dismissal: "It was a bitter blow and she still hasn't fully got over it".

On Alesha’s departure: "I was just upset that she didn't call or text me... I was really upset because for three years I'd been tirelessly defending her, which wasn't always easy".

On ‘Sausagegate’: "In the aftermath of the comment, though, Paul [Daniels] kept digging himself into a hole as he tried to defend himself with the old favourite line, 'I've got a lot of gay friends'"

On the Anton/Laila race row: "It was an off-the-cuff remark backstage, allegedly, so I thought he needed to apologise to Laila, but not the world".

On Ricky Whittle hitting a photographer with his car: "The incident clouded his brilliant run on Strictly".

 

He talks about four years of panto (should I be embarrassed that I’ve seen it three of those years?), and working with Ann Widdecombe for two of those. He talks about the strain it has put on his body (not just his hips), and how self-conscious he felt the first year when he was a bit overweight. He even talks frankly about the ‘moob’ surgery which gave him so much more confidence in life.

 

It’s clear to hear his joy when he describes projects he’s directed, like the Strictly tour and Strictly Confidential. He was pleased to be able to bring Ian Waite back to the floor, and couldn't have done it without the right host - Lisa Riley.

 

If you are a fan of Craig, as I am, you will enjoy this book. Craig is a very talented man, and is more than qualified to talk about dance performance on Strictly (go and see him in panto if you don’t believe me!). Craig gets a lot of stick online and in the papers, and this book has certainly given him a platform to put his side across. If you want to hear Craig’s side of the story, go and read this book.

 

Tales From The Dance Floor is available now in all good bookshops and online retailers (big thanks to the nice folks at Michael O'Mara Books).