For this month’s Pick Six, we heard from Craig Revel Horwood who stars as the Wicked Stepmother in this year’s Christmas panto at the Theatre Royal – Cinderella – and is also best known as a fixture on legendary TV show Strictly Come Dancing.
Film: Strictly Ballroom
Baz Luhrmann was the director and he brought together a whole eclectic group of characters from the ballroom and Latin world. He made it really funny and heart-warming, with brilliant dancing, and it’s one of my go-to movies at Christmas time. It makes me laugh, leaves me in high spirits and is one of the many Baz Luhrmann films I love, along with Muriel’s Wedding.
Album: Ricky Lee Jones by Ricky Lee Jones
This one brings back a lot of memories. I was living in Paris at the time and it was my first ever CD. I got a CD player, and I’d never used one before. Because I only had that one, I listened to it over and over again. All of the numbers on that album have haunted me since 1988. I didn’t know anything about Ricky Lee Jones, but my American friend gave it to me and introduced me to that style. I’ve used it for all sorts of work in choreography as well.
Personal hero: John Travolta
It’s got to be John Travolta. He’s the one who made it cool to dance in the playground at school. It was Saturday Night Fever, and he made it okay for boys to dance. I couldn’t believe the difference in the playground – everyone used to be playing handball, but then they wanted to learn all the John Travolta dances. So that had a huge impact on me, and then I knew what I wanted to do. So he has a lot to answer for regarding that.
Holiday destination: The Maldives
It’s like going onto a movie set – it’s insanely delicious, and I just love the tranquillity of it. Everyone is so friendly and the food is great. It’s a little pricey, but it’s a destination I think everyone should visit before they die because it is absolute paradise. And it won’t be here forever, because the sea levels are rising, so it’ll be a real shame to see it disappear. There’s not much to do but that’s what I like, because I have a very busy life. It’s a destination where I can absorb nature, go snorkelling, eat really well, and relax.
Notts spot: Delilah Fine Foods
That’s where I met my now fiancé, Jonathan. I was in Nottingham for the Strictly Come Dancing Live arena tour, back in 2018, and I literally had an hour before the matinee. So we had a little speed date there, and that’s why it always lives in my memory. It’s sort of tucked away, and has the little shop as well. We sat inside, out of everyone’s way, and I had a poached egg and avocado on sourdough. So it always reminds me of our first meeting.
Notts Meal: Pho
I love it because it's clean, all the ingredients are really fresh, and you can get high protein, low carb food there – which is great if you’re in shows, because you can actually eat a lot without having to worry about calories. I just love all their broths, the beef brisket, and the chicken. They have all these wonderful fresh herbs, which you can scrunch up and put in as much as you want, with lime and chilli. It has a really nice atmosphere, so I always go there with friends when I’m in Nottingham.
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