Craig Revel Horwood has just dashed Gemma Collins’ dreams of joining Strictly Come Dancing – by claiming she’s not the right “calibre” for the show.
Ouch!
The acid-tongued Strictly judge, 52, used his new Woman Magazine column to address rumours Gemma, 36, is keen to join the next series of the BBC One dance show.
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He said: “I think Gemma Collins would be fun on the show but it’s not very often that we have reality stars take to the ballroom.
“We generally have people of a higher calibre than that!”
So far, Gemma’s yet to respond…
The Essex star had joked last month she wanted a place on Strictly’s next series in lieu of seeking legal advice against the BBC following a fall on stage at the Radio 1 Teen Awards.
She had been at Wembley to present an award to the Love Island cast, when she twirled on stage and fell straight down an open trapdoor in the centre of the stage.
Gemma landed on top of the Love Island stars, who had been coming up through the trapdoor to get their award.
Gemma claimed she wasn’t briefed about the trapdoor, although BBC says the production company is adamant they did brief Gemma.
Speaking on This Morning afterwards, she had quipped: “All will be forgiven with the BBC if they give me a slot on Strictly next year.”
A source later told The Sun: “She has said to BBC that she will not pursue legal action if they give her a slot on the show. She loves Strictly and has always wanted to have a crack at it.
“She thinks this might be her chance to get on the show.”
In a statement at the time, the BBC said the production company behind the awards show had warned Gemma about the trapdoor before she took to the stage.
It read: “The BBC takes the health and safety of everyone involved very seriously and we are awaiting a full report from Remedy – the production company who made the show – about the incident, but they have told us that Gemma did receive a full briefing before going on stage.”
Gemma, meanwhile, told This Morning: “[The fall] could have been fatal but it wasn’t so do you know what? You’ve just got to dust yourself off.
“Yes, I’m in a bit of pain but it was the best moment of my life to stand on stage at Wembley Stadium but I just wish I hadn’t got so excited and spun round to give them the award and fell in the hole.
“My mum was crying her eyes out. I was like, ‘Mum I’m okay!’ and she was like, ‘Gemma, this could have been fatal, you could have died’.”
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Despite the incident, Gemma still managed to joke that her bottom was like an “air bag” that had protected her fall.
“It was my left side that hit as I went down. I’ve got a bit of a booty and thank God for that because it has protected me. I have a bruised left bum cheek but apart from that I’m rocking and rolling.”