MARION SAUVEBOIS braves a potentially ‘diaaaastrous’ chat with Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood

‘IN a tizzy’ does not begin to capture my fragile state as I brace myself for a one-on-one with Craig Revel Horwood, the formidable Strictly Come Dancing judge.

Scenes of utter “disaaaaster, darling” flash before my eyes before the line clicks, after a single ring, and his voice booms on the other end.

Will he peg me as “dull, dull, dull” mid-interview and slam the phone down unceremoniously?

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he pre-empts with a warm chuckle... but a hint of warning.

“People expect me to be nasty but that’s not me at all.”

His vitriolic bad cop persona on the dance show has done wonders for his showbiz cred but little to ingratiate him with the average viewer.

“It’s my opinion,” he insists. “People know that I’m honest and that whatever comes out of my mouth will be the truth. But they don’t like to hear it, do they? Especially in front of 15 million people.

“I’m just being honest and professional and non-emotional. I wear a judge’s hat. I don’t go home and stay like that. When you are relaxing at home with friends and family you are a very different person to the one you are at work.”

That said, he was never one to stand for mediocrity.

“It’s not my fault they don’t dance well,” he says mischievously. “If people don’t like what I say, it doesn’t bother me.”

But hell hath no fury like a contestant scorned.

And the carping critic’s barbs have been known to push disgruntled celebrities (thespians mostly) over the edge, fists cocked, ready to retaliate.

“I have had problems of course but mostly with actors, who are highly-strung and emotional. Jan Ravens said: ‘this is all your fault’ when she got voted out, and pointed at me and hurled abuse at me. Ann Widdecombe didn’t hold back, did she? The rugby players don’t do that. Sports people are extremely good at taking criticism on board.”

Revel Horwood always gives credit where it is due and even admits to being impressed by one particular contestant – cricketer Mark Ramprakash.

“He came from the dance gutter and worked his way right up to win the show. It took him from Monday to Thursday to fail and suddenly on the Saturday it just all came together. It’s just amazing.”

Being such a convincing ‘Mr Nasty’ on the Strictly panel has earned him a string of ‘villain’ stage roles over the past decades. He is now poised to take on the cantankerous Miss Hannigan in a new production of Annie, which will open at the Bristol Hippodrome on August 31.

As an embattled pantomime dame who at one time headlined his own drag act, donning a frilly dress, heels and a wig is par for the course for the director and choreographer.

But he is keen to tune down the pizzazz this time.

“I play her as a woman and quite straight – I’m not Craig Revel Horwood in drag,” he says. “I was the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves for five years and people expected to hear Craig Revel Horwood up there. There is no sign of him at all in Annie. I treated it as proper acting part.”

The bitter orphanage director is certainly a departure from previous roles.

“She is an alcoholic who hates children and is man-hungry,” he deadpans.

But there is a depth and unsuspected humanity in her that he is keen to bring to the fore.

“It’s in the depression of 1933, times are hard and she is living off the state. She’s got to churn out a lot of dresses that she’s got these kids to make. It’s sort of slave-labour. She is charge of the whole thing. She is a misunderstood and misguided poor soul really. She is a victim. She hates the life she’s stuck in and Annie is the one who’s been given all the opportunities.”

Unlike Miss Hannigan and her poor charges, most of his young co-stars warmed up to him – once they had recovered from their initial fright.

“They were a bit scared at first but when I donned the frock, the wig and make-up it changed. It was sort of good because they need to be scared of me for the show.”

To get the more recalcitrant on side, he may yet resort to sharing a few anecdotes from his glory days on the marching band circuit back in Australia.

“I learnt to play the French horn, tenor horn and trumpet as a kid in high school. I was in the Ballarat Memorial Marching Band and I think that’s where I get my rhythm from,” he quips. “That didn’t make me very popular.”

Thankfully he has gained a few fans since then.

Annie will run at the Bristol Hippodrome from August 31 to September 5. Craig Revel Horwood will not perform on September 1 and 2. To book visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/annie/bristol-hippodrome/ or call 0844 8713012.