Craig Revel Horwood has admitted that the abuse he suffered in his teenage years left him ‘completely homophobic’ and destroyed his sexuality.
The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 58, spoke of the pain he suffered as a teenager, while also reflecting on the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.
He reveals his plight in an interview with The Guardian’s G2Craig, who came from an abusive home by his alcoholic father, described the insults he would face during his traumatic childhood in Australia.
The star, who now lives in Northamptonshire with his fiancée Jonathan, a horticulturist and trainee paramedic who he met on Tinder in 2018, revealed he was called a ‘pansy’ and a ‘poofter’ by cruel classmates.
In addition to his youth, Craig reflected on the misinformed attitudes of the 1980s and how he saw friends die, saying, “A lot of my friends died and I had to witness that…I sometimes wonder, how did I I escaped? That?’
Long time ago: Craig Revel Horwood has admitted that the abuse he suffered in his teens made him ‘completely homophobic’ and destroyed his sexuality (pictured in a look back at his teenage years in Australia)
Speaking: The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 58, spoke of the pain he suffered as a teenager, while also reflecting on the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s
Shocking: Craig, who came from an abusive home at the hands of his alcoholic father, revealed his plight in an interview with The Guardian’s G2 and described the insults he would face during his traumatic childhood in Australia
Before discovering his passion for dance and theater, Craig, who was married to Jane Horwood from 1990 to 1992 when he subsequently identified as bisexual, admitted he struggled with sexuality, which led to his homophobia.
He explained: “I was completely homophobic… But when I went to the theater, when I did my first dance class, the people there were nice and people started praising me. They were older and accepting, and I loved it…
“I liked those people, and I knew I didn’t like people at school. I was traumatized at school, but dance released that.’
The HIV/AIDS epidemic began in 1981 and is an ongoing global public health problem. According to the World Health Organization, HIV/AIDS killed approximately 40.1 million people and infected approximately 38.4 million in 2021.
With little understanding of the disease at the start of the epidemic, homophobia was widespread, with many labeling HIV/AIDS as ‘the gay plague’ and holding ill-informed views on how the disease might spread, leaving sufferers became.
Of that time, Craig said: ‘Everyone was misinformed, they called it the gay plague. And yes, many of my friends died and I had to witness that. They were dying 21-year-olds, 22-year-olds, people who hadn’t even lived their lives…
Star: Before Craig discovered his passion for dance and theatre, he admitted he struggled with sexuality, which led to his homophobia
At the time: Craig was married to Jane Horwood (centre) from 1990 to 1992, when he subsequently identified as bisexual (pictured in the 1990s)
Tough times: Last year, Craig again spoke about his difficult childhood growing up in Ballarat, Australia, saying he felt like a “social misfit” and an “outcast”
Sometimes I wonder: how did I escape that? I just thought: what is the world turning into? We are humans, and it is a human disease, not just a gay disease, but they wanted to brand it as something.”
Last year, Craig again spoke about his tough childhood growing up in Ballarat, Australia, detailing how he felt like a ‘social misfit’ and an ‘outcast’.
Reflecting on his life during a segment on It Takes Two in December, he talked about how he felt like he didn’t fit in and didn’t play sports like his peers, adding that “it wasn’t acceptable to even to be a little bit’. effeminate’.
Craig, who also looked unrecognizable in throwback photos, said that after discovering dance he finally found people who “got” him, adding that he used dance as an “escape route” from his hometown.
Recalling his younger years, he said: ‘When I was at school I had very few friends, I just didn’t fit in at all. I didn’t like sports at school, in fact I hated it. Any child in Australia who doesn’t like sport is a social misfit and an outcast.
“That’s why I started taking dance classes, people said I was good at it and it was the first thing I was ever good at.”
On how he felt about discovering a new part of his life, he continued, “I felt like I was part of a community that understood me and didn’t judge me.”
Craig also reflected on his past marriage and even claimed that he would still be married to a woman if his wife hadn’t cheated on him.
He confessed that he had imagined staying with his wife forever and having children before he was left heartbroken by Jane’s betrayal.
Speaking to Kaye Adams on her How to Be 60 podcast, he explained: ‘If that relationship had worked out, without a doubt, I could have seen a life where I would have married a woman and had children.
‘It’s who you meet along the way and what changes that is very special.’
Cute couple: Craig started dating Jonathan – who is 22 years his junior – in 2018 and confirmed their engagement in April 2020 (photo in 2019)
Understanding: On how he felt about discovering a new part of his life, he continued: ‘I felt like I was part of a community that understood me and didn’t judge me’