Craig Revel Horwood doubles down after calling for Pete Wicks' Strictly Come Dancing exit

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood had a forthright reaction to the criticism he encountered after suggesting that Pete Wicks should be taken out of contention following a dance routine.

The judge took issue with The Only Way is Essex celebrity Pete and his dance partner Jowita Przystal for including two lifts in their Rumba to Oasis' Don't Look Back in Anger. Post-performance, Craig remarked: "And, as for the lifts, that is totally illegal."

"There were two lifts. One foot should remain on the floor at all times. Of course, a professional would be marked down for that. I think even a disqualification darling, because I think you should follow the rules."

When fellow judge Motsi Mabuse mentioned that celebrities are never disqualified on Strictly, Craig remained unmoved. Pete himself was undeterred by the regulations during the dance, asserting "it felt right" to include the lifts.

Upon being questioned by Heat magazine if he maintained his stance on disqualifying Pete and Jowita, Craig responded firmly: "Of course!

He added: "That will never happen though, will it? I don't think we've ever really disqualified anyone, but at least we can mark them down if they do something illegal, so that's sort of my point."

The performance in question, which included the contentious lifts, earned a low score of four from Craig and an overall 22 from the judging table, landing Pete and Jowita at 10th position on the leaderboard. Despite Craig's pointed remarks, 36-year-old Pete wasn't troubled.

He expressed on the spin-off show It Takes Two: "I've never been one to follow the rules! Do I look like the sort of geezer who plays by the rules?"

Jowita stood by the routine, indicating it gave Pete the chance to dance without fretting over technical details. She remarked: "It was all about the feelings and that storyline."

Judge Craig recently celebrated two decades on Strictly Come Dancing, having joined the original cast in 2004.

Anton Du Beke, also a long-standing figure on the panel, and presenter Tess Daly, are the only others who have been with the show since its inception, although Du Beke initially joined as a professional dancer.

Strictly Come Dancing is set to return at 6.35pm this evening on BBC One.