Craig Revel Horwood has hit back at claims of a ‘fix’ on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Strictly judge has responded to suggestions of overmarking and undermarking by the judges to keep certain celebs in the competition.
Craig said it was “impossible” to fix the results – and pointed out that the public ultimately had the power to decide who is in the dance off.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Craig said of the ‘fix’ claims: “It’s sort of impossible and I can tell you why. “We have to vote personally on a keypad, and we have to push that keypad within seven seconds of the dance finishing and we can’t change our minds.
“Once we’ve chosen a mark, that is it and we don’t know what the other judges are choosing until it’s too late. Not until we get our paddles ready to vote do I know what everyone has voted. Because I have given fours when other people have given nines!
“So I go, ‘Wow!’ So I’m as shocked as everybody else because it’s their own personal opinion and no one can change it. So once I’ve done it, it’s too late.”
Craig went on to defend Dan Walker after criticism from some Strictly viewers.
The BBC Breakfast host has regularly ranked bottom of the leaderboard but so far he’s never been in a dance off.
Craig insisted Dan deserved his place in the competition as it enters the Quarter Final, adding: “I think that everybody that’s there does. The public loves [Dan] and who says that they’re wrong?”
Alongside Dan, the remaining celebs in this year’s show are EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, actor Rhys Stephenson, telly presenter AJ Odudu and Bake Off star John Whaite.
The remaining five couples will return to the dancefloor in the quarter final of the competition on Saturday 4 December at 6:40PM.
Then on Sunday, 5 December on BBC One one more celebrity will leave the competition in the latest results show.
