STRICTLY Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has revealed his show-stopping party plans to celebrate the end of 2024.
The panto star – who bought a £1.8million home in Northamptonshire in 2021 – exclusively told Closer online about the decadent party he hosts and the sizzling dress code.
The TV star, who hosts around 100 guests in his lavish country home, revealed: “I heat the pool, I do fireworks at midnight and then after that everyone goes in and has a swim.
“It’s all bikinis and speedos in January.
“But then I was born in Australia so for me [New Year’s Eve] is hot. That’s just taking on a tradition and putting it in the middle of the countryside.”
On New Year’s Day, he shared: “We have drag lasagne the next day. Everyone has to get their looks out of the drag bag because everyone’s hanging and then everyone eats it in drag. After drag lasagna we do drag croquet. It’s quite something.”
And he always makes sure he dresses to impress. He revealed: “My mum would always say you put the Sunday best on for Christmas Day.
“You don’t want to be slobbing around in the slob zone? That’s not me.
“We dress up and then maybe we’ll even do a change for the evening. Put a wig on and a lash.”
The star, who is playing Captain Hook in panto in Milton Keynes, moved to the stunning property near Peterborough after selling his sprawling Hampshire home for around £2.75million.
The couple, who are set to marry, have been renovating their idilic country manor with his fiancé, Jonathan Myring.
The Strictly favourite spoke to Peterborough Matters in 2022 about the rural area. He said: “I moved in October 2021 so quite recently, but it’s been a great sort of village vibe – I have not had that before.
“In London you are ignored and in Hampshire where I lived in a country property, I had a mile-long drive and I had no neighbours so it’s nice to be back in the community.
“Everyone is lovely – there’s actually a pub and a shop that I can walk to, it’s absolutely great. People love to chat and interact, it feels welcoming and amazing.”
As well as a vast heated swimming pool, the home boasts a huge indoor bar and a grand piano – perfect for entertaining.
Millions watched the BBC’s Strictly final, where Chris McCausland 47, made history as the first even blind contestant to clinch the glitterball.
But Ola Jordan has called for Craig to be sacked after she insisted that he’s “lost his sparkle.”
The Polish professional who appeared on the show for nine years until 2015, says that Craig has lost his trademark grit.
She said: “I feel like Craig’s lost his sparkle. People loved Craig for what he was before. He would say it as it is, saying he wasn’t good, that was rubbish, but it’s almost like he’s got to say a positive now.”
And Ola added that Craig, who is the longest serving Strictly judge, has clearly been told to tone down the punchy comments that made him famous.
“He’s obviously been told they’ve got to be positive and that they don’t want any negativity in the show and that comes from producers, but they need to look at what the public wants really. It’s too nicey nicey.”
The mother-of-one who is married to former Strictly professional James Jordan, has demanded that BBC bosses bring a new judge to the panel.
She said: “What needs changing to refresh the show? Put a different judge on there, just spice it up a bit because we know what they all say. “
