Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood opens up about his rent boy past

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has opened up about trading sex for dance lessons as a teenager.

The out TV judge, now 51, revealed in his autobiography that he made money as a teen by performing as a drag queen and a sexual relationship with a ‘sugar daddy’.

Appearing on gay internet sketch show Here She Is, the dancer and choreographer opened up about his former line of work.

He said: “It is true… I sold my wares for dance lessons. That’s how I paid, that’s how I paid for my dance lessons.”

Asked what his going rate had been, he said: “It was a year of dance lessons, so add that up … and look at me now, darling!”

Speaking about it previously, he said: “I only had the one client – I do have certain morals! It was like the casting couch, so it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

“It was this man who was 43 and I was 17.

“He said I will pay for your classes but you come away with me and we do the dirty.

“I suppose that could be compared to a lady getting engaged and getting a great big sparkling Tiffany ring – and then breaking off the engagement but keeping the ring.”

The judge has been an outspoken supporter of permitting same-sex dance couples on the show, despite bosses’ insistence on a ‘traditional’ format.

Last year he conceded: “I was rather hoping for a same sex couple – I doubt that it’ll happen this year.

“But I’d love it to happen because that might put a spanner in the works.”

Former Strictly star James Jordan claimed that it would be “wrong” to feature same-sex dance couples on the show.

He insisted: “It’s wrong. I think they would lose so many viewers.

“I have nothing against same-sex couples, if they want to go and do their own competitions.

“But ballroom and Latin dancing is about a man dancing with a woman – that’s fact.

“It annoys me that people like Craig can say this because he’s gay. That’s the only reason he’s pushing it.”